Tributes to Dr Joe Williams MBChB, MPH, QSM, QSO continued this morning as his nephew and president of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA), Dr Kiki Maoate ONZM FRACS, appeared on TVNZ’s Breakfast and Māori Television’s Te Ao Tapatahi to share about the life and legacy of one of the pillars of the international Pacific community.
Dr Williams, the patron of the PMA, passed away on Friday night after being admitted to hospital after he contracted Covid-19.
On Breakfast this morning Dr Maoate says Dr Williams’ death will be felt by the thousands of Pacific patients he treated at his Auckland clinic who travelled from all over New Zealand to see him. His medical staff are determined to continue to treat their patients with the same care and love given by Dr Williams.
“His memory is within all of us; the families that he has touched, the grandparents, the parents and their children. That memory will take a long time to disappear.
His practice, and the way he delivered it, is assimilated within everybody else who has been associated with it. We will deliver a very similar service and kindness to people as he has done.”
Dr Maoate told Breakfast that one of the ways the PMA will honour Dr Williams’ legacy is by establishing a scholarship in his name to inspire future Pacific medical professionals.
On Māori Television’s Te Ao Tapatahi, Dr Maoate explained how one of the many ground breaking avenues Dr Williams took to advance Pacific health and wellbeing included the time he moved away from mainstream Primary Health Organisations to support the PMA in their bid to become a Whānau Ora commissioning agency when the government health initiative was established in 2010.
“He’s one of the reasons why we are running the Whānau Ora commissioning agency for Pasifika people. He’s our patron, a rightful place for him to be. He provided us with guidance and structure, and we will forever be grateful.”
Dr Maoate advised Māori Television that the family are still working on funeral details and a memorial service will be held in due course.
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Date: Monday 07 September 2020