urse lead Helen Connole was one of many to attend an event that celebrated the Covid-19 efforts across multiple agencies. Photo / Bevan Conley
urse lead Helen Connole was one of many to attend an event that celebrated the Covid-19 efforts across multiple agencies. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui's integrated approach to Covid-19 brought together multiple agencies that may not usually work together.
Last Friday the Whanganui Regional Health Network hosted an event at the Wanganui Racecourse to say thank you to the agencies.
They included agencies that were part of the integrated emergency operations centre and thoseinvolved with the various community-based assessment centres (CBAC).
Whanganui Regional Health Network (WRHN) chief executive Judith MacDonald said the last few months have varied from organised chaos to a fast-changing moving world.
"But we had really good relationships, really good people, and we just mucked in together and did what we needed to do."
She said the relationships formed have been good for a small community.
"This whole three pillars stuff is helping us understand each other's world. But we're not going back to the old days either, we're moving forward as a team and that's both an opportunity and a bit of a learning experience."
Te Oranganui Medical Centre practice nurse team leader Amy Hina worked closely with other public health nurses at the centre's CBAC and they supported the pop-up CBAC in Marton.
They also visited the Whanganui River Rd, Waverley and Ratana Pa twice for home visits, welfare checks and flu vaccinations.
"It was getting out there and delivering to the people rather than us sitting here and expecting them to ring us up when they needed something.
"We got out there quite fast with the flu vaccines to over 65-year-olds and that was down to getting out into the rural communities which was very important."
Katarina Hina (left), Amy Hina, Brooke Taurua and Apirera were all involved with helping and caring for people throughout the Whanganui region during the Covid-19 lockdown. Photo / Bevan Conley
Katarina Hina from Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa was based in Marton and was part of the Covid-19 response for Te Ranga Tupua, a collective of Iwi within the Ruapehu, Rangitīkei, Whanganui and South Taranaki region.
She said they were also part of the Rangitīkei Southern response team and assisted with Rangitāne and some of their needs.
"For us, it was quite important because we have high Pasifika over there, so this was about a collaboration between our peoples' services and acknowledging those services and giving them the best response available."
The WRHN provided someone who could speak Samoan so Pasifika communities had confidence in the services being delivered, Amy Hina said.
Katarina Hina said a positive aspect of the experience was it made people more aware of the services they offer within communities.
She said the services were still operating, along with the Te Ranga Tupua Response Hub as it is still needed.
Whanganui was the only CBAC in the country to have the Red Cross on the front line and Whanganui DHB nurse lead Helen Connole said although the Red Cross was involved in other ways around New Zealand, having the local Red Cross active in the CBAC was really special.
"I had a call from one of the public that we treated saying they had never been looked after so well in their life which was so lovely to hear."
Multiple agencies celebrated what they had achieved over the last few months during the Covid-19 lockdown. Photo / Bevan Conley
She said the CBACs gave them an opportunity to work with a variety of people from the public, volunteer and private sectors.
Whanganui's Red Cross Disaster, Welfare, Support Team leader Krystal Boye said if anything happened out of the norm there were enough people working together at the CBAC to take on any big challenge.
"The public was really good, everyone was really kind and there was a lot of gratitude from the public in a serious situation."
