Monthly Archives: April 2014

ANZAC Day

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With ANZAC day falling on a Friday this year everyone is enjoying another long weekend and it looks like the weather is going to be a little kinder than it was for Easter. As with Easter it is sometimes easy to forget the real reason for the holiday and it pays to focus on the sacrifices made in the past so that we can enjoy the freedom and peace that we do today.

With this year marking the 25 year anniversary of the Tarawera Medical Centre it is moving to look back and remember the privilege we have had in sharing in aspects of the lives of patients who are/were veterans and victims of past wars. Unfortunately as the years pass their number dwindles but there are still those with amazing stories of sacrifices made. Invariably they are very humble people who make little of their contribution and will only share their stories with some prompting. We have been fortunate to know members of the Maori Battalion and other infantry divisions, Bomber and fighter pilots from Europe, Corsair and Kittyhawk pilots from the Pacific, Navymen, servicewomen and civilians who worked in heavy industry in support of the war, and refugees from Eastern Europe who made a new home in New Zealand. Vietnam veterans deserve special mention because of limited public support for their service compared to previous conflicts. The reality of it all continues today with the loss of Kawerau local, Luke Tamatea along with his colleagues Jacinda Baker and Richard Harris in Afghanistan in 2012.

With the comforts of the modern world it is sometimes easy to forget what went before and we need to consciously remind ourselves and educate our children.

Happy Easter

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Wishing everyone a safe and happy Easter break. If you have to be on the road, take care with the weather we’re having. There was a good 30cm of water flooding in Onslow St at the promenade this evening after surgery finished!

We seem to have seen the start of the winter colds this week with plenty of sore throats and sniffles. The drop-in clinics we have been running for over a month are working really well for those who wake up feeling unwell in the morning being seen without having to phone in for an appointment. We have had a lot of people in for the ‘flu vaccination and it is a good idea to get this done well before the winter season to make sure that you have as much as protection as possible. We have so far been spared the early start to the ‘flu season that has had people in ICU in the Hawke’s Bay and Auckland.

We have a new subscription option on the website so that you can sign up to have blog posts automatically emailed. Check this out if you would like this option to keep up to date with news from the Medical Centre.

Chiropractic now available at Tarawera Medical Complex

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Up until now Kawerau residents choosing to access Chiropractic treatment have had to travel out of town. As reported in the Echo, starting last Thursday, Jay Preston from Preston Family Chiropractic in Papamoa has started to offer sessions at the Tarawera Medical Complex, utilising the consulting room available at Tarawera Pharmacy. This adds another service to Kawerau’s One Stop Shop for healthcare, which for those who prefer the convenience of accessing all services at one site, which now offers 6 fully qualified and experienced specialist GPs, 5 practice nurses, visiting orthopaedic specialist, laboratory, pharmacy and now chiropractic treatments.

Visit our Facebook page

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In addition to our website and blog we now have a Facebook page for those who find it a more convenient way of keeping updated.

You can access this from the “f” link at the top of our home page. Make sure to “like” us to keep up with our news.

If you prefer you can subscribe to the RSS feed to have blog posts automatically delivered to your feedreader.

Welcome Dr. Byrdie Johnston

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We are very excited to Welcome Byrdie to the Tarawera Medical Centre. She enrolled at the medical centre on the advice of a friend who had been a Rural House Surgeon with us and enquired as to whether we may have any work when she was ready to return to work after maternity leave. After the challenges we have had in getting doctors in small town New Zealand this was almost unbelievable! Byrdie come highly recommended from her GP teachers and previously practiced in Rotorua where she pursued her cycling passion.

We are now, for the first time since the Porritt Clinic suddenly closed and landed us with a 50% increase in patients to try and care for, back up to a full complement of doctors. This has enabled us to start offering drop in clinics in the morning so that patients that need to be seen urgently can just come in without having to phone for an appointment. It has been a very challenging time for us to try and keep up with the demand and we really appreciate the frequently expressed understanding and support of our patients over these past few years.