Māori health services — Waikato
Māori health services is part of a wider Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Waikato team aiming to improve equity and health for Māori and Pacific peoples.
Contact us
To contact a Waikato Hospital department or service:
- phone: 07 839 8899
Where to find us
Māori health services is located at:
Hockin Building
Waikato Hospital
183 Pembroke Street
Hamilton 3204
Waikato Hospital map
Services we provide
Services provided by Māori health include:
- kaitiaki cultural support
- kaitakawaenga cultural support for mental health services
- Hapū Wānanga: kaupapa Māori pregnancy education.
Kaitiaki cultural support
Our kaitiaki frontline service offers cultural support for Māori and their whānau at:
- Waikato Hospital
- Tokoroa Hospital
- Te Kuiti Hospital
- Thames Hospital
- Taumaranui Hospital.
When Māori tūroro (patients) and their whānau need kaitiaki intervention or support, ask the ward staff to make a referral to kaitiaki cultural support.
The role of a kaitiaki is to:
- offer hauora advice and understanding with your clinical needs, treatment and discharge, while respecting your beliefs, values and cultural practices
- offer guidance and advice regarding the tupapaku (deceased), understanding the coroner's process while maintaining Māori beliefs, values and cultural practices
- offer kōrero kanohi-ki-te-kanohi (face to face) and recommendations for Māori during their time in hospital
- connect people to other hospital services
- connect people and their whānau to external support services.
Takawaenga for mental health services
People and their whānau can be put in touch with the takawaenga team by asking ward staff to refer them, or by ringing the team leader.
The role of Takawaenga is to:
- provide cultural support to people and their whānau on admission to the Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre and within Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Waikato's mental health and addiction services
- help people and their whānau through their stay at Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre
- identify and address ways to improve service delivery to Māori.
Hapū Wānanga
Hapū Wānanga is a series of free kaupapa Māori pregnancy education wānanga.
The team also provides safe sleep education and distribution of safe sleep interventions throughout the Waikato region.
To contact the Hapū Wānanga team: