Do you know what happens at a Hauora Day? If you don’t, you’ve come to the right place.
Hauora Days are community events, typically in regional or rural areas, that focus on promoting health and wellbeing across a large number of people at once. At these events, you’ll find free health checks including (but certainly not limited to) oral health, hearing, immunisations, diabetes and heart checks, skin lesion checks, social support and much more. Adding to the vibes are fun family activities, prizes, and kai – lots of kai.
There’s a whole heap of work, and many passionate people, behind Hauora Days. Paula Baker, Braemar Charitable Trust Manager, has seen this collective effort first-hand as the Trust partners with organisers to enable specialists to attend and hold drop-in clinics. She says Hauora Days provide health and wellbeing services, information and support in regional communities, helping to enhance healthcare equity and access.
“We have been involved in a number of Hauora Days, with our primary role enabling patients to access specialist care or procedures they have been waiting for in their own community and in a way that works well for the whole whānau.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support of our volunteers and partners who make this happen – none of this would be possible without them.”
Braemar Charitable Trust works to improve health outcomes in the wider Waikato community. It does this through a range of activities, including initiatives – such as Hauora Days – to enhance healthcare equity and access, and through its flagship Community Surgery Programme, which provides free surgeries and healthcare interventions for patients who have been declined by the public health system, and don’t have ACC cover, medical insurance or the financial means to pay privately.
In the coming weeks the Trust is supporting Hauora Days in Taumarunui on 28 February, Tokoroa on 14 March and Te Kūiti on 21 March. All are held in partnership with Te Whatu Ora, local iwi, and a wide range of community health providers.
Jasen Ly, a general and colorectal surgeon and Braemar Charitable Trust board member, will be in Taumarunui to run a clinic for patients who have been referred by their local GP and are waiting for a specialist appointment. He has been doing regular clinics in Taumarunui since 2017 and also assists with pro bono surgeries as part of the Community Surgery Programme.
“Hauora Days are a great way for people in remote communities to access specialist care, especially those who may be putting up with ongoing pain or discomfort because they face barriers in getting to Waikato Hospital or to Hamilton for an appointment,” he says. “It’s a great feeling to be able to help these patients.”
And he has nothing but praise for the local health providers who are dedicated to the health and wellbeing of their patients. “The nurses, GPs, everyone, are just so passionate about their communities and their health outcomes – it’s a privilege to work alongside them.”
Gastroenterologist Jerry Chin will also run a specialist clinic at the Taumarunui Hauora Day, seeing patients who have been identified by their healthcare provider as having gastrointestinal concerns with the goal of providing timely assessments, advice and management plans that can support ongoing care in the community.
“This will be my first time taking part in a Hauora Day and I’m genuinely excited about the opportunity to help provide much-needed healthcare to rural communities and play a small part in reducing some of the barriers people face accessing care,” he says.
Jerry says this experience will build on his experience volunteering at Community Surgery Day in 2025, except this time in a way that brings specialists from across different disciplines directly to a rural community.
“Many rural residents are disadvantaged by geographical distance and other barriers which can delay or prevent timely access to care. Hauora Days are a fantastic initiative that helps address these challenges, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be involved in such an important initiative.”