New Waikato Regional Renal Centre Officially Opens

Te Pureoranga – Waikato Regional Renal Centre was officially opened today (Sunday 16 February) with a ceremony at Waikato Hospital, attended by representatives from Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora, Members of Parliament, and the Māori Queen, Kuini Nga Wai Hono i te po.

Kuini Nga Wai Hono i te po, alongside the Hon Tama Potaka officially opened the facility, cutting a ribbon and unveiling a plaque.

Local iwi Te Haa o te Whenua o Kirikiriroa, played a key role in the co-design of the new facility and gifted the name Te Pureoranga to the centre. The name reflects the purpose of the renal services: helping patients and their whānau access life-saving care, with the aspiration of achieving purification and restoration of physical and spiritual wellbeing.

Improving health infrastructure is a priority for Health New Zealand to ensure better access to timely, quality healthcare closer to home.

Executive Director Health NZ Reset Programme, Chris Lowry highlighted the significance of the new centre, acknowledging the contributions of those involved in its design and construction. “Te Pureoranga gives us a purpose-built facility for renal patients and a long-term home that brings all renal services together as the central service for the Te Manawa Taki region,” she said. The new facility provides 53 dialysis chairs (43 for hospital-based treatment and 10 for home-training patients). It also includes a whānau room, along with additional clinic and education spaces.

Dr Andrew Henderson, Health NZ Medical Director for Cancer and Chronic Conditions for Waikato, expressed pride in the new centre, noting its importance to patients and staff.

“This facility is a testament to our commitment to renal patients, who often face lifelong conditions. “To my knowledge this is the largest integrated renal service building in Australasia, and having all our healthcare professionals - nurses, dietitians, social workers, podiatrists, psychologists and more - under one roof will make a significant difference in providing comprehensive, coordinated care.”

The new centre has been built to modern standards – achieving a Greenstar 5 rating and is fitted out with the latest clinical technology and equipment. Te Pureoranga – Waikato Regional Renal Centre opened for patients on Monday 6 January 2025.

Currently, the renal service, located on the Waiora Waikato Hospital campus, takes care of over 900 patients across the Te Manawa Taki region. Te Pureoranga was the first stage of a wider building programme, which includes a new adult acute mental health inpatient facility. The old Waikato Regional Renal Centre was located on the site where the new mental health facility is being built.

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