A kaupapa Māori drive-through COVID-19 vaccination clinic administered 600 doses in the first weekend under lockdown in Lower Hutt.
Run by Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa ki te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui, about 30 kaimahi at the Tamaiti Whāngai Covid-19 Vaccination Centre in Lower Hutt administered more than 600 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as part on an ongoing drive-through service on 21 and 22 August.
Staff in PPE, who usually work in the Waiwhetu Sport and Fitness Centre beside Te Whiti Park, are making good use of the site's long driveway and nearby carpark to vaccinate people in vehicles.
Tamaiti Whāngai Covid-19 Vaccination Centre staff in PPE vaccinate people in their vehicles outside their usual building in Waiwhetu.
Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa spokesman Tim Bignall said the rūnanga put its drive-through contingency plan into action so it could keep supporting whānau under the strict social distancing guidelines that came when Level 4 lockdown was announced on 17 August.
"The success comes down to having an outstanding team that all came together," Tim said.
"It’s done for whānau. Our priority is to look after all our community."
The team had actively contacted about 800 people who had their appointments affected by the lockdown to offer them new bookings.
Kaimahi in PPE ready to help protect whānau from COVID-19.
The model was sustainable, Tim said, which meant that what started as 300 doses administered per day had now risen by 20 per cent.
The methods could be used by other clinics around the region moving forward.
Tamaiti Whāngai is an iwi-based philosophy that underpins the programmes delivered by Te Rūnanga. It aims to develop strong whānau using a whole of community approach that embeds the practice of supporting and nurturing children – remembering we are all children – responsible to, and for, each other.
The Tamaiti Whāngai Covid-19 Vaccination will continue to offer its drive-through service under Level 4. People can book a vaccination by calling 0800 123 VAX or emailcovid19@atiawa.com.
