Māuri Tū, Māuri Ora

Kia ora colleagues,

NZSA is active. NZSA has purpose. We are Māuri Tū.

You have every right to feel very proud of the Society and the contribution it makes.

I certainly do.

Our collective efforts, in all their different forms, contribute to growing anaesthesia and, ultimately, to improving the health and wellbeing of our communities.

I experienced this firsthand while attending the 35th Pacific Society of Anaesthetists Conference in Rakiraki, Fiji this month, where the mahi of the NZSA’s Global Health Committee and contributions from our Aotearoa community were gratefully received.

Māuri Tū, Māuri Ora was a particularly pertinent whakataukī that week too.

The whakataukī speaks to being active and engaged in your cause so that health and wellbeing may result. In this case, ora refers not only to the health of the Pacific Society of Anaesthetists (PSA), but also, more importantly, to the health and wellbeing of the Pacific community.

There was certainly no shortage of activity. This was evident in the world-class presentations from Pacific anaesthetists and the country updates which, despite significant resource and equipment limitations, demonstrated remarkable resilience and a continued commitment to improving safety and quality. Dr Eunice and her team can be very proud of what they delivered over the week. The conference provides enormous value for our colleagues across the Pacific, creating opportunities to share knowledge, strengthen connections and celebrate progress. It was also Dr Eunice’s final meeting as President of the Society. She has now handed over the reins to Dr Maurice, and we look forward to continuing to build and strengthen our relationship with him and the PSA.

I am very proud to report that the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists – Ngā Ringa Tauwhiro o Aotearoa (NZSA) was active in supporting the Māuri Tū, with in-country contributions from Drs Beth Hall, Alan Goodey and Liz Dunn, and Professor Simon Mitchell.

Away from the conference arena, other NZSA members were also working tirelessly as volunteer locums across the Pacific. There will be further updates on these experiences through our NZSA communications, but needless to say, their contribution enabled the largest PSA conference turnout yet. Their work was repeatedly acknowledged during the in-country updates, and it was clear how much it is valued by our Pacific colleagues.

Thank you to everyone involved.

And this, for me, is the crux of it.

The NZSA Global Health Committee is one of many active committees and networks supported by member subscriptions, and it is something we can all be proud of. From facilitating volunteer locum placements and providing Oxford Handbooks to Diploma recipients, to supporting Pacific trainee anaesthetists through PACT and grants enabling NZ trainees to attend the PSA conference, our organisation is not simply talking about partnership – we are walking the walk.

We are helping to build mana, capability and independence among our Pasifika colleagues.

And that is before I even mention the ongoing efforts of our members who deliver courses across Pacific countries and facilitate multiple one- to two-year upskilling opportunities for Pacific colleagues in New Zealand hospitals.

This is the output from just one of our many great networks.

NZSA is active. NZSA has purpose. We are Māuri Tū.

I’ll also take this moment to remind you that nominations for the NZSA President’s Award close at the end of the month. This award is one of the few occasions we get to celebrate the efforts of a member of our community, and we would appreciate your help in nominating a deserving member of our NZSA community. Start a nomination here.

Ngā mihi,
Dr Jonathan Panckhurst
President, New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists – Ngā Ringa Tauwhiro o Aotearoa