Drs Des and Puvi Collins with their children and baby grandson.
The Collins family featured on the front cover of the Ōpōtiki News in 1986.
Whakatāne staff farewell Dr Puvi Collins
By Colleen MacGregor, ED Nurse Manager,
Whakatāne Hospital.
Last month BOPDHB staff gathered to farewell
Dr Puvi Collins, Puvi worked at Whakatāne
Hospital for 32 years, principally in the
Emergency Department.
She immigrated with her husband and fellow staff member Dr
Des Collins in 1986. They first came to Ōpōtiki, where Dr Des
Collins was appointed as a Surgeon and Superintendent of Ōpōtiki
Hospital. Their arrival in Ōpōtiki featured on the front page of
the local paper highlighting the delight of the Ōpōtiki community.
Even before their arrival in Ōpōtiki, the Whakatāne Hospital
management of the day became aware that Puvi was also a
Doctor and she was offered a position as a part time Anaesthetist
at Whakatāne Hospital from October 1986 to 1992.
In 1994 Puvi was asked to take a Medical Officer role within ED.
Puvi’s training in this field, led her to become a member of the
Royal New Zealand College of Urgent Care RNZCUC (formerly
AMPA) which combined well with her Anaesthetic background in
the Emergency setting. Puvi took on a lead role in ED for several
years. She then continued to balance life, raising her family and
working part time.
Many staff who had worked with Puvi including clinicians,
administrators and volunteers attended a farewell dinner for her
last month, showing their regard for Puvi’s contribution to health
and longstanding friendships built over time.
The nursing team will miss Puvi as a team member always willing
to have a bit of fun combined with her willingness to share her
knowledge and calm approach to all situa tions.
Whakatāne Hospital Paediatrician Dr John Malcolm acknowledged
her relationship with the Paediatric service as well as her and
others contribution to the care of children in our community and
wished her well. Clinical Director of Emergency Medicine Dr Derek
Sage says Puvi has made a huge contribution to hospital services
in the Eastern Bay and beyond.
“She is the longest serving senior doctor working in ED treating
patients in the Eastern Bay for more than 30 years. In that time
she has also supervised and trained many doctors, shaping the
future of the NZ health workforce. She will be sorely missed and I
wish her well. “
In her retirement, Puvi has gone to the UK to spend time and bond
with her new grandson. We wish her all the best and will miss her
greatly.
Puvi would like to thank her colleagues for their friendship and
help over the years and says it was a pleasure working with you
all. She says she will be back in Whakatāne, “the great place with
great people”.
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