A project with a broad view of healthcare – including education, housing and getting food on the table – has been revealed in a story in NZ Doctor magazine.
Auckland’s South Seas Healthcare Clinic says it aims to bridge the gap between the Pasifika community and healthcare by offering a “one stop shop” for all aspects of care.
Lemalu Silao Vaisola-Sefo, South Seas Healthcare chief executive, says patients are talking to GPs about a whole range of issues now: “Education, housing, food on the table – we have this template, a one-stop shop under one roof. It’s only part of the solution, but those 15 minutes should focus on what GPs should be doing, leave the rest to the integrated team”.
Mr Vaisola-Sefo told NZ Doctor the locality group is also working with Te Whatu Ora and PHOs to reach out to further practices.
“Health [for the Pacific community] does not just mean physical health, it means being able to go to work for three days without needing a day off, accessing services that feel familiar, your kids are going to school, and being able to contribute to your local schools and churches; it’s about wellbeing, for yourself, your family, and your community,” he says.
“We know it’s going to take time to change the way the system behaves, [but] we’ve been working on this prototype for two years, and we are signalling that we are ready here and now.”
