For over 12 months, questions have been asked over why saliva testing has not been rolled out as a proven methodology to test for Covid-19, and its variants.
Nasal swabbing is invasive and places our swabbing staff at greater proximity for long periods to those getting tested
On that basis over 250 Whānau Waipareira staff and essential workers will be tested on Thursday using saliva technology.
Following the Waipareira trial, we will look to take our learnings to our Whānau Ora networksbecause the uplifting of vials with saliva in them does not require costly GPs or nursing staff in terms of the numbers required for nasal swabbing.
This means you can process far more people and ensure that lines and waiting times are even. It’sabout the patient, not the practice.
This will require the Ministry of Health and the Government to engage in a large communications programme educating the knowledge and requirements to help a robust testing regime.
We look forward to bringing long overdue technology to our community because of a health administration that in many ways is still designed for the industrial age.
We cannot have bureaucrats clogging the system with multiple fire doors and multiple hands slowly or stopping our services that are trying to improve lives for Kiwis.
Whānau Waipareira will be used as an incubator and pilot in hosting and deploying a range of cutting edge products in the health, welfare and education.
We will roll out through the Whanau Ora Providers and Collectives to scale up the saliva testing.
We are proud to be associated with a test that was used by the New Zealand Olympic Team, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Workforce, Genesis Energy and Air New Zealand.
If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for everyone.
