More than 2700 calls and requests for support have poured
into the Whanau Ora Community Clinic help line and Auckland
Emergency email address since the service was stood up on
Friday night.
The was in response to Auckland going
into a state of emergency last Friday due to the heavy rain
which fell over a 24 hour period across
Auckland.
Director George Ngatai says that more than
45 of his staff had been redeployed to all corners of
Auckland and focussed on working in most of the Evacuation
and Emergency Centres.
Speaking from the Mangere Civil
Defence Centre at Te Moana Nui a Kiwa Mr Ngatai said that
more than 1439 food packs had been distributed to Mangere,
Randwick Park, Awataha Marae on the North Shore and out to
West Auckland to assist whanau who had been affected by
flooding. We are fortunate to have 24/7 access to the Circle
K Supermarket which is how we have been able to get kai out
to everyone and at a cheaper and quicker rate than
others.
At the Mangere Emergency Centre over 350
medical assessments had been completed by Whanau Ora
Community Clinic doctors, nurses and health care assistants
and more than 450 whanau packs had been delivered to areas
where whanau did not want to leave.
One issue we are
seeing is that whanau are not wanting to leave some of their
homes, most being rentals which have been affected by flood
waters due to them not having insurance or frightened that
if they do leave then who will keep their homes
secure.
Some 15,000 insurance claims have been lodged
following what the Government said is the biggest weather
disaster in New Zealand to date.
Meanwhile many of our
clinical and support staff have said to whanau that due to
health and safety issues they needed to look at going to one
of the evacuation areas like Kelston, Mangere or Manurewa
Marae or possibly stay with whanau. So far, 174 of
Auckland’s flood-damaged homes have been red stickered
(meaning uninhabitable) and 779 yellow stickered (restricted
access). Most of the whanau we speak to don’t understand
what this means.
“We’re supporting the response
and recovery of Auckland and Northland due to our service
having medical centres in these areas, however it has
stretched some of our teams.
It’s been great to have
been given some reprieve in the weather today however we
will see the impact of the damage over the next 6-8 weeks
when whanau have got to return if at all allowed to their
homes said Mr Ngatai.
The Whanau Ora Community Clinic
has been one of many providers who have worked 10-12 hours a
day to assist the many whanau across Northland and
Auckland.
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