Five Rivers Medical Board, from left, David Borman, John Cameron, chairman Bob Francis, Lynnette McManaway and Shane McManaway. PHOTOS/SUPPLIED
Farming couple step up for their community
New centre should reduce need for trips over hill
ELI HILL
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A new multi-million-dollar medical facility in Greytown will soon be serving the people of Wairarapa.
Five Rivers Medical, to be opened late next year, will feature a full range of general practice services, an in-house pharmacy, and a suite of consultation rooms for visiting specialists.
The facility will also feature a comprehensive wellness centre, including physiotherapy, a rehabilitation gym, a pilates studio, massage therapy, and mental health and counselling services.
It is expected Five Rivers Medical will employ at least 40 fulltime staff as well as having a team of specialists. It will cater for up to 5000 patients.
Greytown Medical Centre staff and patients will move to Five Rivers when it opens.
The facility is an initiative by Wairarapa couple Shane and Lynnette McManaway, who own Gold Creek Charolais and Deer farming operation at Matarawa, near Greytown.
Building a “much-needed medical facility for people in our community” was a dream they had for some time, Shane McManaway said.
“We have a growing population and an ageing population here in Wairarapa as well an increased level of mental health issues affecting many in our community.
“We are extremely passionate Wairarapa people and we want to put something back into this community that will benefit everyone – those that live rurally and in our urban centres.”
Five Rivers Medical chairman, and former Wairarapa District Health Board chairman, Bob Francis, said the board was aiming to open the centre around October next year.
“We’re now moving into the final design and we’ve got to do a bit of work there. We think realistically the build would start in January, between consents and all that.
“We’d quite like to start this year but realistically we think early 2020. It’s a big build.”
Francis said the facility would work collaboratively with Tu Ora Compass Health, the Wairarapa DHB, and the ambulance service, as well as existing medical specialists.
“Five Rivers Medical will set a new standard of medical care in Wairarapa, providing excellent health services and will attract the very best medical expertise,” Francis said.
“It will be based on best practice and ethics with a huge focus on putting the customer first.
“With a number of specialist services soon to be available through Five Rivers Medical, it will mean some people will no longer have to drive over the hill to access these in Wellington, as they currently do.”
The philosophy was in line with the government’s strategy around delivering more services close to home, Francis said.
While many of the services will be available for people across Wairarapa, most of the GP patients will be from the Greytown area.
The name Five Rivers Medical refers to the Tauherenikau, Waiohine, Waingawa, Waipoua, and Ruamahanga rivers.
The project will be managed by developer David Borman who has been behind the upgrade of numerous commercial buildings throughout Wairarapa.
These include the building of the Masterton netball complex on Colombo Rd, and the Martinborough Town Hall and library complex.
This is absolutely fantastic. I don’t know who to tell but a lot of retiring people on Greytown also require water therapy and there is no pool as such the only pool is open in summer and not suitable to people with mobility issues at all. So we were wondering about a pool for the complex ?