Peke Waihanga Showcased at Parliament

Peke Waihanga work and its mobile workshop were showcased at Parliament recently during a day featuring the country’s mobile health units which aim to remove access barriers by bringing healthcare directly to patients.

The event started with a karakia from Parliament Kaumātua, Kura Moeahu as the sun struck Parliament. Members of Parliament, ministers, the public (including school children) and other health practitioners all visited the display which featured some upper and lower limb prosthetics, posters and flyers about our work.

Above: Parliament's Kaumātua, Kura Moeahu and our Rākau Rangatira, Ken Te Tau proudly overseeing the event. Photo by Nishita Wojnar.

Auckland prosthetist Paul Bargh (who had driven the van down from Auckland) showed off the inside of the van, wowing people with the workshop tools and the portable rails (used for rehabilitation) set up outside.

Photo one: Prosthetist, Paul Bargh demonstrating the inner workings of a mobile workshop. Photo two: Peer Support Coordinator, Matt Bryson talks to a visitor about amputee rehabilitation. Photos by Nishita Wojnar.

“A lot of discussion centred around what we are as a business, the impact of diabetes, the services we provide and our amazing new van. People came in for tours, checked out some limbs we had on display and got to talking with the team,” said Peer Support Coordinator Matt Bryson who was helping at the display. 

Also representing Peke Waihanga were CEO Sean Grey, Rākau Rangatira Ken Te Tau, Wellington technicians Summer O’Dwyer and Alex Stephenson and Graphic and Web Designers Nishita Wojnar and Michaela Pickup. Staff from the Wellington Centre and National Office also visited during the day together with some of our patients.

Photo one-three: Technician, Summer O’Dwyer demonstrating different types of prosthetic limbs. Photos by Michaela Pickup. 

Summer and Alex talked to people about different types of prosthetics and the process of making them. A few people asked about career paths and how one would get into such a field of work. “It was great to have both of them represent women in STEM roles,” Nishi said.

Photo one-two: Technician, Alex Stephenson explains career pathways to a visitor. Photos by Nishita Wojnar. 

Nishi said the event was very interesting. “It was cool to see many different forms of mobile healthcare — among the services, we saw a mobile dental service, a mobile surgery (complete with a waiting room and an area for making coffee), and imaging services (x-ray). All of them spoke to a similar need of trying to capture the people who fall into the cracks of our healthcare system,” she said.