Primary health care the New Zealand way.

Primary health care the New Zealand way In the Wairarapa region, in the southeastern corner of New Zealand's North Island, health officials have struck upon a novel yet effective way to treat often wary members of the local Maori population. Holly Else reports. Many Maori perceive hospitals and general-practice surgeries as unfriendly environments and can be reluctant to seek health care at these institutions. To combat this, one of the primary health care facilities, the Te Rangimaire clinic, is located on the marae, or sacred meeting place, so that Maori feel more at ease. The clinic has two general practitioners, who are well trusted in the Maori community The Reverend Marie Collin, a member of the Ngati Kahungunu tribe, one of the largest Maori tribes in the Wairarapa region, speaks glowingly of the clinic at Te Rangimaire marae. She said that the service had become so popular that it was necessary to extend the hours and relocate the clinic from an old homestead on the marae to larger rooms in a new building housing the marae's communal dining room. " Although the doctor, Cath Becker, is of European ancestry she is culturally sensitive, understands Maori protocol and is well respected by the community. Our kaumatua (Maori elders) are very comfortable coming here, " says Collin. " The doctor knows how to handle our people and what we do differently. " As an example she cites a relaxed attitude to appointments. " If our people are running late it is no big deal. It's not an issue. People just arrive and take their turn. " Clinics such as the one at Te Rangimaire are the result of a cultural shift in the way health services are delivered to Maori. Helen Kjestrup, a member of the Primary Health Care Nursing Advisory Committee for the Wairarapa region, is helping develop relations between Maori and the Primary Health Organisation. " It has been slow, but it is happening, " she says. To do this, she attends hui, Maori community meetings. Kjestrup believes that establishing health-care clinics in places where the Maori people feel comfortable has improved their access to health care. New Zealand's primary health care system has undergone dramatic changes since 2000 – changes that government officials say have already improved access to its services for Maori and other groups. The Wairarapa region, a sparsely populated agricultural valley between the Tararua mountains on …