It will be another month until North Waikato will see its new medical centre, but it’s well worth the wait according to one GP who will be practicing out of the new location.
Dr Noorwan Noordin, a general practitioner at Doctors@42 in Raahui Pookeka, is one of several medical professionals and staff who will soon be shifting to 158 Great South Road.
Joining the general practice will be a pharmacy run by the previous owners of Barry Roberts pharmacy, North Waikato physio, and a radiology centre.
“We hope to have x-ray services and ultrasound at least with radiology,” Dr Noordin said.
No longer at 42, the Doctors@42 will need a name change at their new location, he said.
“We will now be called Riverview Health as an homage to the River Haven restaurant,” Noordin said.
The River Haven used to sit at 160 Great South Rd in Huntly. Hard economic times saw the place close down after the pandemic.
Noordin said the medical centre will be a first for North Waikato.
“We’re experiencing a lot of growth in the North Waikato currently, and there are lots of people who will benefit from this,” he said.
“The centre will be great for the larger population we’re seeing, and it will mean a lot more people who won’t have to drive to Hamilton or Auckland for their health.”
The GP will provide a closer-to-home option for residents from Te Kauwhata all the way down to North Hamilton.
The centre has one vacancy yet to be filled. Noordin said they were hoping for a pathlab, but that any kind of medical practice not yet accessible nearby would be a beneficial addition to the centre.
Originally set to open on June 1st, things have taken a bit longer to get moving than the centre would have hoped. An early July opening is more likely, said Noordin.
Nicola Ehau, Regional PFO Director for Health New Zealand said primary care is “essential to keeping New Zealanders well, providing timely, local care that focuses on prevention, early intervention, and ongoing support for long-term conditions”.
“Health New Zealand works closely with Primary Health Organisations and their provider networks and is committed to strengthening access to primary care,” Ehau said.
“[Health New Zealand] is supportive of initiatives that ensure communities have access to timely, quality care.”
by Sarah Morcom
