Turanga Health chief executive Reweti Ratu Ropiha received his New Year Honour from Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro at Government House on Thursday.
Mr Ropiha (Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri) was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori health. In his 25 years as TurangaHealth’s chief, the organisation’s whānau client list has grown from 10 to more than 3000 today.
It continues to provide health and wellbeing care to Māori throughout Gisborne.
“I tried to stay under the radar and dodge this left, right and centre,” Mr Ropiha told The Gisborne Herald when the list was announced.
“But I have to swallow this pill and accept this on behalf of all the hard mahi we at Turanga Health have done.”
