Venkat Raman
Auckland, August 28, 2024
Doctors and medical professionals are at hand when you need them; they visit your home, examine your condition, engage in meaningful conversation, treat you with love, and respect and render care every day of the week. Money is not their object.
With such professionals and kind people, you do not have to worry about rushing to your GP’s clinic because they do not close shop at 4 pm and they are available at all weekends.
The above may appear fictional, but that was how Dr Kanti Patel and his wife Ranjna operated their East Tamaki Healthcare (ETHC) for more than 50 years, making it the largest privately-owned Primary Health Care in New Zealand.
Social Service with Inclusion
Their first clinic on East Tamaki Road in Otara (South Auckland) is synonymous with service with kindness and an initiative for inclusion and social service. How it grew to become the single largest and most significant partner in the delivery of Primary Health Care in this country has been well-chronicled, and more important, well-recognised.
Their service delivery prompted Prime Minister John Key to say that ETHC is a model for all medical service providers, including the government.
“Their quality and spirit of service is inspiring,” he said presenting the Company with the Supreme Business of the Year Award at the Indian Newslink Business Awards, along with Best Innovation and Best Professional Services Business Awards on November 16, 2009 at the then Stamford Plaza Hotel, in Auckland.
Then Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand, who was also present at the event with then Leader of the Opposition Phil Goff and Manukau and Waitakere City Mayors Len Brown and Bob Harvey, agreed, saying that all businesses should learn the importance of the ‘human element,’ in their enterprises.
Lessons Along a Journey
Born in Kenya and raised and educated in Gujarat, India, Dr Kanti arrived in New Zealand in 1973 to establish a family with his wife Ranjna and a medical practice that was to become a legacy in New Zealand and beyond.
“I have learnt that every person and every situation is unique and that we must learn from them,” he said, recalling his early days.
Dr Kanti explains in this interview with Indian Newslink the state of the medical profession at that time, his passion to make a difference and make healthcare affordable to all, the support that he received Dr Mutyala Satyanand and the love, understanding and hard work rendered by his wife Ranjna.
Whether the successful partnership of men and women at home replicates in business has often been a subject of discussion but Dr Kanti and Ranjna have provided indisputable evidence in affirmation. While a husband and wife team in a small enterprise may easily achieve a perfect equation, it becomes a formidable challenge in large companies, where decisions on issues and compliance costs could be daunting. They are among the most illustrious examples of a husband and wife-team at work.
The impressive and phenomenal growth of ETHC which later became The Nirvana Health Group is a story that Dr Kanti says in his self-effacing way in this interview.
The Nirvana Group is today under another ownership in the name of Tamaki Health, integrating the erstwhile Local Doctors and White Cross.
The Group provides Primary Healthcare to 230,000 enrolled patients across 45 clinics, employing 300 doctors and more than 1000 staff. On any given day, Tamaki Health serves no less than 4000 patients.
“A Fantastic Gift to the Community”
Giving up his lucrative medical profession almost ten years ago and retiring from all operations three years, Dr Kanti has dedicated his life to community service, after creating Swaminarayan Complex, a multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art facility complete with audiovisual equipment, interior decoration and a comprehensive vegetarian food catering arrangements. Hundreds of events (including several Indian Newslink programmes) have been held in the Papatoetoe-based Complex since its inauguration last year.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described the Complex ‘Special and Fantastic Gift’ and praised Dr Kanti and Ranjna Patel and others associated with the facility for their services to people in need.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Complex on February 26, 2023, Ramakrishna Das, a saint from the Swaminarayan Sampraday in Gujarat, India, said that the modern world has wrongly defined happiness as a measure of materialistic values, rather than perceiving it as a measure of human values- which is the belief of Dr Kanti and Ranjna.
“Dr Kanti recently retired from his practice to devote all his time to the Temple and the new Complex. This place is the hub of religious, cultural and social activities. No one will go hungry from here. The Swaminarayan Complex is a true example of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam- the Hindu philosophy that the Whole World is a Family,” he said.
The Complex has multiple banqueting, conferencing, exhibition and other facilities with modern sound, light and other systems. With a capacity to seat about 700 people, it is open to communities to conduct weddings, parties, religious ceremonies and other events.
The Centre will cater only vegetarian food and non-alcoholic drinks.
It is a standing testimony to the spirit of service initiated by Dr Kanti and embellished by Ranjna Patel with her unique style of community welfare.
We will join Ranjna Patel on her journey in life in the upcoming interview.
