Free Dental Care
Whakatōhea Clinic 9-13 June 2025
Arohamai - registrations for this clinic are now closed.
We are very grateful to the Youth with a Mission Trinity Koha Dental team of volunteers who have ensured that they have been able to see such a large number of whānau this week. An update on their contribution will be shared following the completion of the clinic.
As always, we are overwhelmed by just how great the need for dental care in our community is. In our pursuit of equitable access to care, Toi Rāwhiti will continue to champion and advocate for investment in this area, as well as furthering our partnership with the Youth With a Mission team.
In the meantime, if you are in need of dental care we encourage you to visit Eastbay Dental Ōpōtiki at 82 Bridge Street or phone 07 308 5279.
In an emergency, please utilise one of the following:
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Ōpōtiki Medical Hub After Hours (Open Monday - Friday from 5pm - 9pm; and Weekends and Public Holidays from 10am - 8pm)
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32a King Street - behind the Fire Station
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07 315 8500
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Whakatane Hospital Emergency Department
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Ambulance
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Call 111
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MANA WAHINE
WĀNANGA
Mana Wahine Wānanga Update
Wāhine from across the Eastern Bay gathered over the weekend in Ōpōtiki and Te Kaha to share their experiences and aspirations for better women’s health care. The Mana Wahine Women’s Health and Wellbeing Wānanga, hosted by Toi Rāwhiti in collaboration with Te Whatu Ora, brought together about 50 participants to discuss a future vision for women’s health in the region.
“These wānanga are part of a wider Eastern Bay of Plenty co-design process and were a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our mana as wāhine and to explore ways to improve health services, so they truly enhance the lives of women and their whānau here in Toi Rāwhiti,” said Jodi Porter, iwi-led project manager for Toi Rāwhiti.
Key themes included the need for fair and equitable investment that reflects the region’s rural setting, socio-economic challenges, and the rights of indigenous communities as Tiriti partners. Attendees voiced the importance of locally led and designed health services, closely linked to secondary care at Whakatāne and Tauranga hospitals, but more importantly, connected within local support systems to ensure wāhine are well supported throughout their lives.
Lisa Kelly, a midwife serving the community for over 20 years, advocated for the return of equitable maternity care, including greater investment in kaupapa Māori practices and a dedicated birthing unit offering 24/7 critical care. “We need services that put manaakitanga and care back into healthcare,” she said. “And we also need a stronger, well-supported health workforce, with more midwives and kaiāwhina to support hapū māmā at this crucial time.”
Sasha Franklin, a local Māori pharmacist who attended the Te Kaha wānanga, highlighted the need for scholarships, education, and career pathways to build a locally trained health workforce. “I was fortunate to receive a scholarship from the Māori Women’s Welfare League, and that changed my life,” said Sasha. “I’m one of four Māori pharmacists from Toi Rāwhiti, and there are only 124 Māori pharmacists in the country—just 2% of the workforce. We need this kind of investment right across health.”
