"We believe it takes a village to support the community, so that is what we are trying to build here.”
The Caversham-based health provider has over 7000 registered patients, indicating a high demand for Te Kāika's services.
Te Kāika presently has over 50 employees and a committed army of volunteers who have planted gardens, painted walls, and helped in a variety of other ways.
Because of its large patient base, it has been able to maintain its prices as low as possible, and it recently reduced the fee for a visit by someone over the age of 65 with a community services card to $12.
Te Kāika now has two shareholders, Ngāi Tahu and Arai Te Uru Whare Hauora, and the University has evolved into a service provider.
It now features twice as many consultation rooms, chronic illness consulting rooms, four dentistry surgeries, a physiotherapy gym, a music studio, social service offices, and a trial project where Work and Income workers are on site to answer benefit and entitlement problems.
