Demand for traditional Māori treatment methods for injuries has exploded since the Accident Compensation Corporation began accepting rongoā Māori claims, especially for soft tissue injuries.
The corporation is holding its first rongoā Māori conference in Rotorua next month to allow practitioners and health providers to share mātauranga and healing experiences.
Its head of Maori health partnerships, Eldon Paea, says almost 200 rongoā practitioners have been formally recognised since the programme started in 2020.
“The demand for rongoā and the number of sessions at last count has been about 74,000 rongoā sessions to support our clients who are injured over these past four years,” he says.
To be recognised, a rongoā practitioner needs a minimum of five years’ experience, the endorsement of another recognised practitioner and the support of mana whenua.
- Waatea News