7 September 2021
Te Marae Ora wishes to advise the public of some changes to the way Te Marae Ora will be providing health services to the public as from Monday 13 September, 2021.
The Emergency Department, currently located at Tupapa Outpatients, will be relocating back to the Rarotonga Hospital.
The Emergency Department services will be operating from the hospital as from
Monday 13 September.
The reason the Emergency Department is moving back to the hospital is to improve the efficiency of emergency services.
Currently all the emergency calls (999) are seen at Tupapa Outpatients.
Should a patient need further investigations like X-ray, ultrasound, and lab tests, they are transported via ambulance or sent to hospital for these investigations before coming back to Tupapa to see the doctors re decisions, next steps etc.
Having the Emergency Department relocated back to Rarotonga hospital will prevent this delay, it will also prevent the excess use of ambulances running up and down between the hospital and Tupapa providing a more cost effective and efficient service.
Rarotonga Emergency department will take all the emergency 999 calls, urgent referrals from the Primary Health Care, Puna clinics.
After hours emergency services, from 4:00pm will be available to the public at Rarotonga Emergency Department. Please call 22664 to be triaged prior presenting to the hospital.
From 13 September too, the current Tupapa Outpatients will be rebranded as Tupapa Primary Healthcare and will be operating daily (Monday to Sunday) from 8:00am to 4pm.
Tupapa Primary Healthcare team will comprise general practitioners, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other health professionals (such as physiotherapists) all working together to provide the people of Rarotonga with direct access to health care services. For appointments, please call 20 065 or 20 066.
Te Marae Ora also wishes to advise the public of Rarotonga that Puna in the three vaka – namely Blackrock Puna (Puaikura), Tupapa Puna and Nikao Puna (te Au o Tonga) and Matavera Puna and Titikaveka Puna (Takitumu) will also be open from Monday 13 September. The contact details for these Puna are:
- Blackrock – 28 185
- Tupapa – 28 181
- Nikao – 28 186
- Matavera – 28 189
- Titikaveka – 28 190
Te Marae Ora apologises in advance for any inconvenience that may arise whilst these changes are implemented.
One final reminder, in cases of emergency please call 999 in the first instance.
ENDS: For more information, please contact Haumata Hosking on +682 22664