Health committee election soon

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 404, 21 July 1992, Page 13

Health committee election soon

At first glance 'body warrants of fitness', consultation and plants for the Rural Health Centre don't seem to have a lot in common. But they have - the Waimarino Community Health Watch Committee. The committee has been working since . 1986, when a public meeting decided it wanted a CHWC for the Waimarino area. Since then it has been an important community health group, keeping a Watch' on local health issues and acting as a link between the community and the Man-awatu-Wanganui Area Health Board. Its role as a voice for the community has become even more important in the health system following the demise of elected Area Health Boards last year. The current committee has reached the end of its term of office and an election meeting for a new committee is to be held at Ruapehu College at 8pm, Thursday 30 July. Over the past three years the CHWC has been involved in a wide range of health-related issues. These have included: • Holding Heart Health Days in Ohakune and Raetihi, where 160 people had health checks including 'body warrants of fitness'. • Working with the Mayoral Task-force on the Government's new health proposals. The CHWC held public meetings to discuss the proposals and actively sought community views which were collated in a submission to the Minister of Health at the end of last year. • Commenting on Board plans and raising issues related to Board services. • Promoting asthma awareness and sponsoring a half-day visit by 'Dr Beco' (a clown like character who teaches children about asthma). Twenty-five children with .asthma and their care-givers were hosted to an asthma education

gathering at the Rural Health Centre which also included games, balloons and food. • Supporting the proposal to establish a rest home in Raetihi and liaising informally with the Community Trust established to work on this. • Expressing concern to the Ruapehu District Council about the rental

increase for pensioner flats and to DSW Wanganui regarding the ongrading of DSW in Taihape. • Passing on information in the community on a range of health-re-lated issues. • Canvassing local PTA's about changing their canteen food to more healthy fare. • Holding a highly

successful melanoma awareness day where 125 people had 'spot checks' free of charge, as well as access to information and materials relating to safety in the sun. • Donating $50 towards the purchase of plants for the rural health centre. The Area Health Board believes that Community Health (Watch) Commit-

tees have been very successful and is promoting the committees at the national level with a view to their being retained in the new health system. In the meantime, the Board will continue to support them for as long as it is in existence (to June 1993). Both the CHWC and the Board would like to see another strong, representative committee elected to help ensure that the community's voice continues to be heard on the health issues affecting the Waimarino area. All anyone needs to be eligible to join is an in-

terest in health and a little spare time (the committee usually meets once a month). Nominations to the committee will be taken at the meeting. If people are interested but unable to attend, written nomi-

nations (with a seconder) can be sent to the Board's Commissioner before the meeting at PO Box 2056, Palmerston North. Anyone who would like to learn more about the committee is welcome to attend the meeting.