Fifteen years - and counting - of fighting for Māori healthcare for Tureiti Lady Moxon

Thursday, 22 October 2020

Tureiti Moxon doesn't give up easily.

A prime example: the Te Kōhao Health managing director’s part in a 15-year fight for more for Māori health and primary care.

'Ever hopeful,” the 63-year-old Mōhaka woman said with a grin.

The case began in 2005 and was backed by a 2019 Hauora report from the Waitangi Tribunal – findings included underfunding and tokenistic Treaty mentions.

**READ MORE:

* Better and fairer health for children drives Kiwi doc's Oxford study

* Protectors of Ihumātao receive supreme award at Matariki Awards

* Oranga Tamariki 'beyond repair' Waitangi Tribunal hears

**

It recommended a standalone Māori health authority, an idea which divided those behind a health system review which followed.

'So we're still talking about that,” Moxon said.

'The issue isn't so much about how Māori should have this or Māori should do that. The issue is more around if you want to see change in any society for the better, the way to do that is to bring in people or bring in iwi or others who can do that. Otherwise what do we get? More of the same.'

Tureiti Lady Moxon, 63, has been at the helm of Hamilton’s Te Kōhao Health since 2002, and was recently recognised with a Matariki Award.

She's overseen Te Kōhao’s growth from one doctor in a little A-frame building to 250 staffers and a purpose-built centre at Kirikiriroa Marae.

The organisation also has early childhood centres, offers social and justice services, and is fundraising for a clinic and diagnostic centre in Enderley.

It’s one of four Māori providers in the Waikato which won a mental health and addiction services contract which will put health improvement practitioners and health coaches in clinics around the region.

'We as Māori are leading out amongst all the practices in our city,” she said.

But Moxon’s day could just as easily include giving evidence for Waitangi Tribunal claims.

The Māori health one was launched in 2005 and the situation has got worse since then, she said.

There's also a claim against Oranga Tamariki, spurred by the 2019 uplift of a baby in Hawke's Bay Hospital.

Unless things change, there will be terrible intergenerational trauma for years to come, Moxon said.

One of her fondest Te Kōhao memories is of a mother who fought to get her children back.

'She managed, through support from here, to get two of her children back … She went and enrolled in the University of Waikato in law. And she completed her law degree.'

'There are a lot of stories where people have just needed a little bit of support.'

Moxon is a fan of the Whānau Ora approach, in which whānau lead and set their own goals.

'They have dreams and sometimes those dreams are really way out … but unless you have one, how do you get there?'

And small things make a difference, like Te Kōhao’s pharmacy delivering medications free of charge at the height of Covid-19.

It was the first time some patients had had all their medications, not having to prioritise as the five-dollar prescription fees added up.

'There's no need for it, not in this country,” Moxon said.

'We're rich enough, and we've got land enough, and we've got resources enough to ensure everybody is looked after well.”

Moxon speaks with passion about health, but ended up in the sector for practical reasons.

She’d been a lawyer in the Treaty domain, but the travelling involved was difficult with four children.

She’d been on the board for Te Kōhao during her studies, and applied for the managing director job when it came along.

And while preventable diseases continue to kill Māori earlier and at a greater rate than non-Māori, you can guess Moxon’s not about to give up fighting.

For that to change, the Government has to share resources and believe Māori have answers for themselves, she said.

'Then I think you will see a very different country.'