"Make a Stand" programme launched today

Associate Health Minister Mita Ririnui launched the “Make a Stand” programme at the Huhtamaki Plant in Auckland today.

The “Make a Stand” programme is the first of its kind for Aotearoa and its objective is to bring healthcare into Huhtamaki plant, where for one reason or another, its workers have not had access to primary health care on a regular basis.

“This initiative allows the Huhtamaki plant workers to access health care with ease, at the place that they are most easily found, their work place. The workers in this plant are predominantly Maori and Pacific Islanders, and male – all demographic groups who traditionally do not access health services as regularly as others.”

The programme is an initiative delivered by the Waiora Healthcare Trust PHO in conjunction with the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturers Union (EPMU). Make a Stand offers free and confidential health assessments for workers and Huhtamaki management have provided space for nurses to carry out these assessments and time off for workers to attend the clinic. They also support follow-up health assessments.

“Make a Stand” has already received much interest from the workers of the Huhtamaki plant and it is expected that if the programme is successful, it will be adopted by other PHO’s through out the country by the end of the year.

“I fully commend this approach taken by the Waiora Heatlhcare Trust PHO and it is through initiatives like these that Maori will be more likely to access the necessary health services to keep us all healthy and happy.”

“We should all view our health in the same manor as we view the up keep of our cars – getting a regular warrant of fitness and a service for our cars is a common thing and we need to do the same for ourselves.”