Medical professionals withdrawn
A recent move to withdraw medical professionals from a rural Waikato practice may come as concerning news to some but, for the clinic in the firing line, it’s an ‘‘opportunity’’.
The Matamata Medical Centre supplied two doctors to Raungaiti Marae Health Clinic in Waharoa for almost a decade after a service contract provided full management and clinical services to patients, three mornings each week.
But when the medical centre decided to cease services as of April 11 as no legal contract was ever signed between the two parties, the marae health clinic was left with one doctor, Dr
Ra¯ wiri Jansen from Auckland, instead of three, and a patient list of 651.
‘‘It’s a big letdown for the patients. If we don’t get a similar service moving, it may take a couple of weeks to get it back to three doctors and where we were,’’ Raungaiti Marae Health Clinic trustee manager Rangi Kaukau told
‘‘We’re still going, we will find temporary staff and GPs, we are looking at all options.
‘‘We wanted a bit more, we wanted things that would link us to other providers, like nutrition health, cardiac problems, all while using Ma¯ ori providers.’’
Administrator Natalie Wilson agreed, saying it was an opportunity to have a bit more say and include more Ma¯ ori holistic views.
‘‘There’s a lot of work to do, but we will get there.
‘‘We’re not saying we can’t, there’s plenty of Ma¯ ori service providers that will come on board with us.’’
The marae health clinic began providing GP services to the town of Waharoa, 7km north of Matamata, in 1991. It had 33 patients on its list at the time.
It took a ‘‘long time’’ to get to where it is, changing the way the community viewed their health.
Waharoa had a population of more than 4500 according to 2018 census data, but Kaukau said patients from across the Matamata-Piako district also travel to the town to use the service.
After the contract between the two practices expired in June last year, the marae health clinic took the opportunity to take over management, but retain the services of the GP and nurse.
The expired contract was rolled over by mutual agreement, allowing the marae health clinic to organise a new contract and management, Matamata Medical Centre’s Dr Ben Ross said in a statement.
The medical centre supported the change and details were being worked through up until early 2021.
Ross said Kaukau and Wilson took over the management of the clinic on January 1 and the medical centre continued to provide GP and nursing services without a contract.
‘‘After nearly three months awaiting a suitable contract and nearly two months of providing services without a contract’’ the providers met on March 2 to review the contract ‘‘line by line’’, Ross said.
However, in late March, the centre decided to cease the GP and nursing services. It ‘‘was still awaiting a delivery of a contract’’.
Kaukau said it was a sad day for the marae health clinic.
Parehe Martin, vice-treasurer of Raungaiti Marae Health Clinic said the medical centre offered to take the contract again, ‘‘but we had to go under the old contract, so we decided to go on our own.
‘‘We acknowledge everything they’ve done for us over the years, but we’re looking forward to the future.’’
The marae health clinic is planning on building a new practice, with access to a gym, swimming pool and a community garden while the medical centre plans to lease space in Waharoa and provide care there for patients that choose that option.