New $12M Wellness & Diagnostic Centre Opens In Hamilton ‘Disrupting The Historic Continuum’ For Māori

The 6-year journey
by Māori living their tino rangatiratanga over their own
health through building their own multi-million-dollar
solution is finally being realised on Monday 15 April at
10am.

Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero
VII will officially open the $12 million Te Kōhao
Health, Wellness and Diagnostic Centre located in the heart
of the Enderley community in East Hamilton.

According
to tikanga, the name of the whare will not be known until
the plaque is unveiled by the Kiingi Tuheitia.

The
minister for Whānau Ora, the Hon.Tama Potaka, the CE of Te
Aka Whai Ora Riana Manuel, and Members of Parliament from Te
Pāti Māori including Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke
(Hauraki-Waikato) and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi (Te Tai Tokerau)
who was the former Chair of Te Kōhao Health, are among the
dignitaries attending.

On average Māori have the
poorest health status of any ethnic group in Aotearoa/New
Zealand. Māori are twice as likely to face discrimination
in health and less likely to be referred for diagnostic
tests.

“It is critical that Māori are seen when
they need to be seen and diagnosed early, because Māori are
more than twice as likely to die from preventable diseases.
The five biggest killers of Māori are cardiovascular
disease, bowel, lung, breast, and cervical cancers,” Lady
Tureiti said.

“We need to be proactive in
prevention, and move away from constantly being in crisis
mode, which has been the habitual pattern concerning our
people for decades.”

Te Kōhao Health is hoping to
change these outcomes by disrupting the historic
continuum.

“Currently there are those who are lucky
enough who occupy the front of the line, getting seen and
diagnosed so their issues are solved early, and then there
are those who are at the back of the line until they are
admitted to accident and emergency at the hospital, and only
then they get the treatment they
should.”

Kiingitanga Spokesman Ngira Simmonds says
Kiingi Tuheitia was honoured to open the new facility, which
will address longstanding health inequities for
Maaori.

“As the King said during the Covid pandemic,
the health and wellbeing of the people is paramount, and
this is the sort of initiative we need to look after our
people.”

Pacific Radiology (part of RHCNZ Medical
Imaging Group), Te Aka Whai Ora and Te Whatu Ora have joined
in partnership with Te Kōhao Health to bring the seamless
service to the area.

“This type of collective
private and public integrated solution is different to what
is happening right now. Yet it’s what needs to happen
going forward into the future,” Lady Tureiti
said.

RHCNZ Medical Imaging Group CEO Terry McLaughlin
says that this partnership is an important step in
addressing health inequalities for Māori in the
Waikato.

“RHCNZ is dedicated to enabling better
health outcomes by increasing access to our world class
radiology services. This clinic will provide accessible,
timely healthcare in an environment that suits the needs of
the local community,” he said.

The Te
Kōhao Health Wellness and Diagnostic Centre will be
providing Whānau Ora supported access to health services,
mental health and addictions services, alongside developing
new indigenous models and
services.

Funders that have generously
enabled the project include Trust Waikato, DV Bryant Trust,
and the Significant Lottery Fund.

The Te Kōhao Health
Wellness and Diagnostic Centre was designed by Chibnall
Buckell Team Architects, built by Lobell Construction with
Quantity Surveyors ECS Group, Condair Air Conditioning and
Feisst Electrical.

The construction is distinguished
by a central pou feature at the entrance and perimeter of
huge pou carved out of native timber over a six-month period
at Te Whare Maui, the dedicated carving studio owned by Te
Kōhao Health.

Head carver Rei Mihaere, Pene Campbell,
Steve Rankin, Wiremu Tonga, Ammon Tarawhiti and Hakopa
Parker carved the 4-metre-high timber pou that represent the
powers of Tane Mahuta and Tangaroa.

The four pou that
flank the four corners of the site represent Ngā Hau e Whā
(the four winds). Te Tai Tonga (dedicated to the Iwi of the
South Island), Te Tai Rawhiti (dedicated to the Iwi of the
East), Te Tai Tokerau (dedicated to the Iwi of the North)
and Te Tai Hau Uru (dedicated to the Iwi of the
West).

The highly decorative pou have been carved and
painted in striking colours with representational creatures
to honour and symbolise the diverse pūrākau from the
tribes across the motu.

The designs incorporate
taniwha ranging from Paikea (whales) to manu (birds),
pounamu (greenstone), paua, Rangatira kōrero, significant
battles and linkages to Tainui waka.

The building
represents a waka. On the North-East side of the building is
Te Tau Ihu that represents the vision of Te Kōhao
Health:

“Kia whakatinanatia te ihi, te wehi, te
wana, te tino rangatiratanga me te hauoranga o te whānau.
Strong, healthy, vibrant, and prosperous
whānau.”

The governance of the Board of Te Kōhao
Health including its strategies, initiatives and kaimahi
(workforce) is reflected in the Te Tau Rapa standing at the
rear of the building.

The opening ceremony is
anticipating a huge community turn-out. It will end after
karakia with the traditional custom of burying the first
carving shavings from the ornate seven pou that safeguard
the health and wellbeing of our
community.

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