Smiling Southerners receive award for Covid-19 response

​A Pacific health provider in the South Island has won an award acknowledging their work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pacific Trust Otago was awarded the Covid-19 Response Recognition Award from Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.

Covid Response lead at Pacific Trust Otago Tevita Vungamoeahi says as the only Pacific provider in Otago, the award is big achievement.

“To receive an award from the Prime Minister is massive for us! There’s much bigger Pacific providers and doing much more work supporting the community.

“And here we are as a small provider, with only 18 staff, supporting over 5,000 people across the Otago region.

The award acknowledges individuals and organisations who contributed to New Zealand’s frontline Covid-19 response.

During the years of the pandemic, Pacific Trust Otago were quick to establish Covid-19 vaccination clinics in Dunedin. Following the clinics, they established a Covid Response service – providing food packs, medical care packages and in some cases, financial support.

PTO staff member Charlotte Kareroa was on the frontline in their Covid Response team, delivering care packages to referred cases. She says though it was a tough time for everyone – it was important to radiate good energy during their work.

“We knew that Covid was hard after lockdowns and staying home, entertaining our kids and whanau so we thought ‘what do we have to do’.

“For us, going out there and putting a smile on our faces during our deliveries. We had so many people look out the window, wave and smile.

“We’ve done so much helping the families who were isolating, and we’re there putting a smile on their faces.”

Kareroa says she is proud of the work the team has done, especially as a small organisation.​

​“I was emotional when I found out, in my mind all the hard mahi we had done in the past years, it’s a lot of work but it meant so much.​

“We are such a small organisation, and our team is very small as well but I’m glad we were able to help our communities and families."

Vungamoeahi hopes the award will spotlight their need for more resources in the Southern region.

“Hopefully there’s more resources coming to us now that we’ve been recognised for the work that we do in this side of the country.”

In their continual service towards Pacific health during the pandemic, Vungamoeahi adds that the pandemic highlighted bigger issues in the Pacific communities.

“There are people out there that need the help, and the feedback we received was that if PTO wasn’t there – they wouldn’t survive the pandemic.

“No one expected Covid, no one really enjoyed Covid. But it really highlighted the need in terms of health that are hidden amongst the community.”

He says before Covid-19, there were 53 Pacific women in the region overdue for cervical screening. After a year and a half of Covid it jumped to more than 300 Pacific women – which Vungamoeahi says reflects the health priorities in the community.

Because of this, PTO has established a survival screening clinic – with a health hub in the works that will look to provide more medical clinicsfor diabetes, respiratory, breast and servical screening.

“We started off with a Covid-19 clinic, we believe from the work we did with conversations and talanoa, these are areas we should focus on moving forward.”