Etu Pasifika general manager, Amanaki Misa, says the accreditation is a testament to the hard work from his medical and administration staff and gives reassurance to their Pacific patients that they are receiving the best care each time they come into the Christchurch based clinic.

“I am so proud that I want to climb to the mountaintop and say our Pasifika community deserves the very best and we are delivering that to them. It can give our people the confidence that when they come into our clinic, they are receiving top quality, first-class care,” he says.

The qualification has been available for twenty years and is coordinated by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. It covers areas like patient experience, service, health and safety, clinical effectiveness and professional development.

“It’s a certificate for clinics to show that they have met all necessary requirements in order for them to operate a safe environment for families and with the highest standards. The recognition says that we are just as good as mainstream providers.”

The qualification is valid for four years and has helped boost morale within the Etu Pasifika staff.

“It motivates us to continue to lift the bar. We stand by our core values and that’s our key driver; relationships, connections and respect for our Pasifika community,” says Amanaki.

Chairman of the Etu Pasifika board, Dr Nick Giblin, says having the qualification allows junior doctors to be trained at the clinic. He says this will help further develop Pacific medical professionals.

“Our long term vision is to make our Pasifika doctors prosperous because its important to have doctors that think the same way, that share the same cultural beliefs as their patients, to serve their community and have an understanding that it’s not all about medicine.”

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Date: Tuesday 14 July 2020