The Pat Farry Rural Health Education Trust is excited to announce that we will be hosting various fundraising activities at the National Rural Health Conference this year.

New to the social programme is the Pat Farry Trust fundraiser dinner ‘authentic Lebanese family cuisine’ at Gemmayze St on Friday 6th April from 7:00 pm.

`Gemmayze St is the brainchild of chef, Samir Allen, (Pat Farry’s nephew) a talented young chef whose roots are deeply entrenched in his Lebanese heritage. After pursuing his dream of a pilgrimage back to Lebanon to study the gastronomic practices of his patrimony he returned to Auckland to open the amazing “GEMMAYZE ST.”

If you are attending the conference you can book the Pat Farry Trust dinner via the conference website or alternatively you can book here. Sue Farry and the Trust invite all supporters of the Trust including family and friends.

Make sure to come and visit our stand at the Conference from Thursday 5 through Sunday 8 April. We will be running a raffle and silent auction. Up for grabs, we have amazing artwork, adventurous experiences, and succulent wine sourced from all over New Zeland.

We are also proud to have our 2016/2017 scholarship recipient Jordan Gibbs speaking at the conference on her rural elective: My experiences of Tonga and Tanzania on Saturday 7 April at 11:00 – 11:40am.

“My elective was based around improving my skills and gaining insight into how other cultures and places manage medicine. Working in culturally unique places, such as the Kingdom of Tonga and Zanzibar, the ex-capital of slave trading on the east coast of Africa my aim was to cross-pollinate and experience how different life and medicine can be.

These 3 months gave me a tremendous insight into how different people can be, and the importance of working with an individual. I also developed an enormous appreciation for medicine without a lot of resources, ranging from childbirth to motor vehicle accidents. This elective taught me to be resourceful, but above all, how important it is to be human.” states Gibbs.

Early bird registration is open for the New Zealand Rural General Practice Network’s National Rural Health Conference in Auckland. Discounted rates apply until February 16, 2018. Everyone who registers and pays by close off, the early bird option will enter a draw to win a FitBit. For more details on the programme, registration information and to book accommodation, visit the official conference website, click here.

Auckland’s Pullman will host this year’s conference from April 5 – 8. The theme is “Healthy Rural Communities – Mauri Ora, Whanau Ora, Wai Ora”.

The exciting line-up of keynote speakers include Kyle Eggleton (Addressing health inequity through community, practice, person and self); Maori child and infant health panel featuring Professor David Tipene-Leach and Dr Rawiri Jansen; Amohaere Tangitu (Maori child and infant health); Adele Robertson and Leonie Howie (A World of its Own – Great Barrier Island); Siouxsie Wiles (Antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship); John Wakerman (rural and remote health research collaboration in Australia); Mark Bryan (Global health issue: AMR resistance/One Health); a PRIME panel update (What’s been achieved one year on and where to next?); and an opening political keynote session (Friday, April 6).