Wāhine Health Day - Ōtara

Wāhine Health Day was held on 31 January at Ōtara Kai Village, creating a welcoming, family-friendly space where local wāhine could access essential health services, screenings, and wellbeing support.

Around 15 team members from Local Doctors were on site, with Lorenzo on the mic helping guide the day’s activities. A mobile screening bus positioned behind the Ōtara clinic invited women from around the village to step onboard for mammograms, making breast screening accessible in a familiar community setting.

Several community organisations attended to provide education and resources, including Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau (Breast Cancer and Bowel Cancer services), Stroke Aotearoa, and Mapu Maia.

The Wellness Support Team supported six people on the day across medication, blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and menopause. Team members Mutu’i (Health Improvement Practitioner), Alicia (Health Coach), Christie (Care Partner Pharmacist), and Rita (SME Lead) provided personalised guidance and practical wellbeing advice.

To help create a lively community atmosphere, the day also included a sausage sizzle, social media content capture, and a range of giveaways, including:

• 6 prize bags

• 3 pamper bags

• 3 grocery bags

• Local Doctors freebies

These added to the family-friendly activation and encouraged engagement throughout the village.

Overall, Wāhine Health Day brought together healthcare providers and community partners to improve access to screening, share practical health information, and connect with wāhine and whānau in Ōtara — reinforcing the value of taking care into the heart of the community.