SouthSeas Healthcare celebrates 20th Anniversary

SouthSeas Healthcare Trust reaches an exciting milestone this Saturday 9 February, as the organisation celebrates 20 years of delivering health and social services to the Pacific communities in South Auckland.

SouthSeas was established in 1999 as a clinic in Otara with its aim to change the appalling health statistics of Pacific people in New Zealand by providing cheap and easy access to doctors from their own cultures.

Chair and co-founder of SouthSeas Healthcare Trust Dr Teuila Percival, reflected on the organisation 20th anniversary by saying, “This is a huge and exciting milestone in the SouthSeas Healthcare journey, and an opportunity for the organisation to reflect on its impact in communities and families in South Auckland. “

“We started out from very humble beginnings with a philosophy of delivering affordable family focussed services for Pacific families, as almost half of the Otara population at the time was Pacific Islanders and there being no Pacific general practitioners in the area.”

“Our Pacific families were disproportionately represented in many statistics on bad health. They had a much higher rate of hospital admission than other ethnic groups in New Zealand for many disorders, including asthma, meningococcal disease and pneumonia. They suffered diabetes at twice the Pakeha rate and only 50 percent of Pacific Island children were vaccinated, compared with 80 percent of the rest of the population.”

“As Pacific doctors we have to do something and so SouthSeas Healthcare was born. We have always recognised the importance of the broader determinants of health, which is how we have informed and approached our interaction with our families and communities.”

“Our Pacific families and communities were not getting to their doctors and other primary health caregivers because of barriers such as language, culture, cost and transport. We kept our prices as low as possible, compared with many parts of Auckland in particular for those with a community services card. All children aged up to 17 would be seen free.”

“What initially started out as a healthcare clinic, and naturally evolved into movement towards the quality of relationships and well-being. This new narrative will crystallise the next 20 years for SouthSeas Healthcare Trust,” says Dr Percival.

SouthSeas Healthcare CEO Silao Vaisola-Sefo says SouthSeas Healthcare would not exist were it not for the vision and dedication of the founding members, who found time in their busy working lives to create and build a Pacific clinic to connect and serve the Pacific South Auckland communities.

“We honour and thank our founders and funders and previous CEOs for turning the SouthSeas vision into a reality. We also acknowledge our past and present staff who have served our families and communities, and past and present members of our Board of Trustees who have been the backbone and life-blood of SouthSeas Healthcare. Without their tireless commitment, SouthSeas Healthcare could not exist.”

“SouthSeas Healthcare benefits tremendously from the support of our funders and key stakeholders. Our work is made possible through their contributions. We hold the anniversary celebration this Saturday to honour them and all those who have supported SouthSeas Healthcare throughout the last 20 years.”

A big thank you to the hundreds of our valued patients and strategic partners, but especially to those who had faith in SouthSeas Healthcare from the very beginning.

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