A 70s’ themed birthday party for staff recently paid homage to the strong relationships the primary care network has built over three decades – and that includes with its patients.
They marked the anniversary of the first clinic opening in Otara, by founders GP Kantilal Patel and wife Ranjna Patel, with a delicious meal, generously sized birthday cake, awards for long serving staff, entertainment by the Delicious Dance Crew and staff, and dancing.
East Tamaki Health Care began in 1977 as a three-person surgery and has grown to become the largest primary care medical centre in New Zealand, with 16 primary care clinics in Auckland serving 140,00 patients, the biggest health provider to Maori and Pacific Islanders, and employing around 260 staff. The clinics provide training for the largest number of medical students in the country.
“Saturday night was about celebrating strong relationships; giving thanks to the staff and patients who make the business what it is,” Mrs Patel says. "We always believe if you look after the patient well, the business will look after itself."
A highlight of the evening, held at the Britomart Westpac building, were congratulatory videos from health minister Tony Ryall and Tejendra Pande (8th family member of Swaminarayan Mandir) and personal email messages from the Prime Minister John Key and Auckland Mayor Len Brown.
“Their acknowledgement is testament to the hard work everyone has put in over 35 years and the trust they put in our hands to make sure our patients have access to our services and will be well looked after,” Mrs Patel says.
ETHC offers an array of services across the three Auckland DHB regions within the scope of GP practice; including medical consultations, ACC, radiology, maternity, minor surgeries, immunisations. The integration of these services through the ETHC network allows simpler affordable access to quality care for all patients of the region.