He kōrero nā ngā tauira , Kevin Pewhairangi's student essay
How can the pharmacy profession contribute to reducing Māori health disparities?
I will start this essay with quoting a very important whakatauki that governs te ao Māori. ‘He aha te mea nui o te ao? Maku e ti atu, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.’
I believe the profession of pharmacy has a lot of qualities that may benefit te ao Māori, as it focuses on the health and well being of people. Health is fundamental to the strengthening of Māori culture, and as of late, there has been a slow resurgence of te reo me ona tikanga being taught around the motu, which provides the basis to our Māori culture. Now I think it is time for resurgence in hauora Māori, as this is also fundamental in the strengthening of our culture.
I believe pharmacy has the ability to have a more up close and personal approach to encouraging Māori out there to look at their health and lifestyle and realise that change is needed.
It is beneficial for te ao Māori for more professional Māori pharmacists to be trained and in the frontline of the health workforce. It is common knowledge that Māori people interact better with other Māori, which is advantageous in the field of pharmacy as it allows for a report to be formed between a Māori patient and a Māori pharmacist. This allows for a more in-depth interaction between the two and an assurance to the patient that tikanga Māori will not be disregarded and instead be moulded with western medicine and western health structures to provide the best possible treatment within its boundaries.
My main goal as a Māori pharmacist is the preservation of our Māori culture and well being. I find that pharmacy will be the vehicle through which I can assert myself in the direction that will help in the tackling of the various Māori health issues. I find myself wondering what I can do when I go to lectures and hear that Māori are more susceptible to a majority of the diseases and sicknesses compared to other cultures. Although most are genetic, it satisfies me to know that I will be out there helping Māori who are in need of health care and also encouraging those Māori who don't think they are in need, but clearly are. Education of the Māori community will be another goal I will undertake. I believe that at the end of my studies I will have a gift, which not only belongs to me, but belongs to te ao Māori and those who have got me here. Thus, it will be imperative for me to offer my knowledge to anyone who requires counselling about various health issues or who requires general information about various things they don't understand.
In closing, I will relate my goals of being a Māori pharmacist with the whakatauki I used at the start. If man is the most important thing in the world, then certainly, the maintenance of one's health is essential in the continuance and proliferation of life. Ko te tumanako, ka whakatipu ake te matauranga e pa ana ki ngā mahinga hauora I roto I te ao Māori. Ka tipu, ka rere, ka ora!
