Labour MP Terisa Ngobi and Whanau Ora/Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare visited Maori Health providers in the Otaki Electorate last week. Photo / Nikki Carroll
Vaccinators and health support networks involved in the Pfizer rollout in the Ōtaki electorate spent time with Whānau Ora and Associate Health (Māori) Minister Peeni Henare last Thursday.
Ōtaki MP Terisa Ngobi said the focus of the visit to the region was on lifting rates of vaccinations within the Māori and Pasifika communities and recognising the contributions made by local health providers.
"Even though we have had amazing community push from health providers ... including Māori and Pasifika ... our pockets of low vaccination rates throughout our community represent where a majority of our Māori and Pasifika whānau reside," said Ngobi.
This was also an opportunity for Minister Henare to speak about the new $120 million fund established earlier in October to accelerate Māori vaccination rates and support communities to prepare for the Covid-19 Protection Framework.
According to a Ministry of Health press release, the fund will assist in reaching Māori not yet vaccinated including rangatahi, whānau without permanent housing, whānau in rural and remote locations, and whānau not well connected to health services.
First stop for Minister Henare was the Kimiora Health Centre, a recently opened nurse practitioner led satellite clinic of Horowhenua Community Practice, largely servicing the unmet health needs of Māori, Pasifika and high deprivation whānau.
The group who met with the Minister at Kimiora also included representatives from Te Waiora Community Health Service and THINK Hauora's Pasifika Health Service.
Minister Henare said he was proud of the great mahi put in by those involved with Māori and Pasifika health in Horowhenua.
"You do what suits your community … you know how to connect … [you're] supporting [your] people in making the right decisions."
Catherine Manning, Ngati Tukorehe, told the minister he needed to be seen on the podium more to represent whānau.
"They need to see somebody who looks and sounds like them [talking about Covid and the vaccine].
Kimiora nurse practitioner Mitch Jennings, Wairoa, said it was important to remember many of the community who were not yet vaccinated were more likely to be hesitant around the decision rather than anti.
"The reality is our people are going to die [of this virus] … we need to make sure they have access to the right information," agreed Manning.
Minister Henare's next stop was Ōtaki, where he spent time talking to youth at Ōtaki College, which was revealing in regards to how rangatahi are thinking and feeling.
"We were given insights that could help us reach those young people who are still trying to make decisions [re vaccination]," he said.
Muaūpoko Tribal Authority (MTA), who have set up a Covid Response Team to partner with vaccination providers in the Horowhenua region, were next on the visitor list.
Di Rump, CEO of Muaūpoko Tribal Authority, made it clear they were already looking ahead to how partnering will work beyond this year.
"The voice of iwi and the community needs to take the lead for planning what [the fight against Covid] looks like after we reach the 90 per cent vaccination target," she said.
Another MTA spokesman, Dean Wilson, said there was also a need to find a 'hook' that would personalise the effects of Covid for those who were still undecided about the vaccine.
"My sister has a 10-year-old mokopuna living in Melbourne who has just been diagnosed with the virus … this made it very real for our family," he said.
Minister Henare's final stop in Horowhenua was at Raukawa Whanau Ora, which supports the wellbeing of Māori through kaupapa based health, social and education services.
CEO Betty-Lou Iwikau shared the results from a Covid vaccination survey conducted with clients in October, which showed, of those who completed it, 731 had already had their first or second dose of the vaccine, while 417 clients were yet to receive their first.
Iwikau said it was important not to assume anyone's reasons for not being vaccinated, and to work out strategies that will engage the community and make it easier for them to get the information and support they needed.
Horowhenua District Mayor Bernie Wanden also had an opportunity to speak with Minister Henare during his visit.
Mayor Wanden said more resources were definitely needed to support Māori and Pasifika health providers to reach the tail end of the Horowhenua community with the vaccination rollout.
There has already been work between the council's emergency management team and local iwi to find a way to set up quarantine facilities locally if needed.
"I also hope there will be strategies put in place to assist local businesses with how the new Covid protection framework will operate," said Wanden.
Minister Henare said one of his biggest takeaways from his visit was how the local community has already come together to try and break down the barriers to Māori and Pasifika whānau being vaccinated.
"I was very impressed with the way health providers, iwi, the [district] council are supporting each other here [in Horowhenua]," he said.
The minister also spoke to the issues around whānau being able to access their marae in a vaccinated world.
Only nine tribes have their own health providers who would be able to run hui around dealing with Covid risk on marae, such as the use of masks and the need for scanning.
"We need leadership from iwi and hapū on developing plans for marae … [we also] need the Government to work out how they will provide support [for those plans]," Henare said.
Minister Henare was also asked if he was aware of the drastic GP shortage locally, and what the plan was to assist with the management of Covid going back to the community in future.
The minister said there is a long-term plan being put in place to address this issue in many communities.
"Some plans already actioned include easing visa requirements for overseas health professionals to be able to access MIQ spots so they bring their experience into the country."
Another centralised response being considered is a step plan of providing relief staff to address current shortages, moving towards replacement staff to build numbers in the health sector.
"The possibility of creating a travelling relief team [of GPs] who would pick up a health providers daily workload [for a period of time] to free the usual staff up to move into Covid response [for their area], or even allow them to take a decent break."
Overall, the minister found his visit very eye-opening and insightful, as well as confirming his own opinion that reaching those with concerns around the covid vaccine needs to be led by the community.
The final message the minister wanted to share with our Māori whānau in Ōtaki/Horowhenua is - "Seek the right information … from the right sources … to make the right decision … to get vaccinated."
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