On The Up: East Coast celebrates reopening of Te Puna Wai birthing unit

The formal welcoming committee for the celebration of the reopening of Te Puia maternity birthing unit, now officially renamed Te Puna Wai, features (from left) Ngāti Porou Oranga (NPO) cultural adviser Eru Wharehinga, retired Te Puia Hospital service manager Georgina Paerata, general manager – Nāti Pēpi Maternity and Infant Service Caroline Thompson, NPO kaumātua Tuta Haereroa, kaumātua Bill Blane, Reverend Connie Ferris, kaumātua Elder Te Reo and kaumātua Peggy Kerr.

Ngāti Porou Oranga has proudly celebrated the reopening of its new birthing unit after the original was closed after Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.

The original Te Puia Hospital maternity birthing unit is now known as Te Puna Wai - the Spring of Water - and is the only Māori-owned and kaupapa Māori birthing unit in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The general manager of Nāti Pēpi Maternity and Infant Services, Caroline Thompson, told the Gisborne Herald hapū māmā and their whānau were travelling up to 200km each way to give birth in Gisborne before the reopening. That was often while in labour and without guaranteed accommodation or support in Gisborne.

She estimated that between 40 and 60 babies were born on the East Coast each year.

The original birthing unit was closed following significant water damage from Cyclone Gabrielle.

In the interim, a birthing room was made available in Te Puia Casemix ward for emergency births.

That was far from ideal as the space was next to elderly residential patients and lacked the necessary environment for whānau-centred birthing care, Thompson said.

With only one midwife available, a decision was made for her to be based in Gisborne, where she could be supported by a locum midwife.

“It was a difficult decision, but it was critical that we maintained the service because of the need,” Thompson said.

“Our hapū māmā and whānau were travelling incredible distances to give birth. We knew we had to find a way to bring birthing services back home to the Coast.”

Attempts to secure government funding for repairs and upgrades to the unit were unsuccessful.

“There were no new dollars to be found,” Thompson said. “No one was willing to help us. We fell back on our own resources.”

It was through the support of philanthropic funders the dream of reopening was made possible, she said. Funding was confirmed in November 2024 and restoration began soon after.

At the opening, expectant mother Ario Rewi, who has given birth at the previous Te Puia maternity birthing unit, said in an item on Te Karere current affairs programme that the new unit was a “such a gift for our people”.

“We don’t get things like this often on the Coast. It’s a blessing.”

Te Puna Wai offers a full wraparound maternity service, complemented by kaiawhina and a rongoā Māori practitioner, who work in traditional, wairua-based healing systems.

Clinical and cultural care sit side by side, ensuring whānau receive holistic support before, during, and after birth.

Previously, clinical midwifery lead Vicky Henry managed births on a 24/7 call-out basis, supported only by a locum.

At Te Puna Wai, she has been joined by two permanent Nāti Pēpi midwives and a casual midwife.

“We’ve all moved back home to the Coast and are living in the community,” Henry said. “That makes a difference.

“The other two permanent midwives have worked all over New Zealand and overseas.

“We’re ready to put down roots and give back to our people.”

Thompson said Te Puna Wai was not just a name.

“It’s a vision. It reflects the kind of care we believe our hapū māmā and their whānau deserve.”

A puna – a spring – is a place where water rises naturally from deep within the earth. It is a source of life, nourishment and strength.

“That’s what we want this space to be,” Thompson said. “It’s a place where māmā can come and feel safe on their own whenua.

“It’s a place where they’re surrounded by their own stories, reo and people.

“The care we offer at Te Puna is holistic. It’s grounded in wairua, in whakapapa, in whanaungatanga.

“We’re not just supporting the clinical process of birth. We’re honouring the entire journey - from conception to connection.”