Leadership
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QUEEN SERVICE MEDAL: Dr Kantilal Naranji Patel QSM, RNZCGP and Mrs. Ranjna Patel QSM,JP were awarded one of the countries highest recognition in New Year’s Honor List (The New Zealand Herald-December 2008)-The Queen Service Medal.
Dr Kantilal Patel received this honored accolade for service to Community Medicine and the Indian Community.
Mrs. Ranjna Patel JP (Justice of Peace) received this accolade for service to Indian Community.
Dr Kantilal Naranji Patel QSM, RNZCGP, MBBS is of Indian origin, who was born in Kenya in 1949. He attained his MBBS in 1974 from Baroda Medical College, India and moved to New Zealand in 1975. He has been practicing as a GP at East Tamaki Practice and continues to take up challenges to address the health in equalities in South Auckland. He became a Fellow of Royal New Zealand College of General Practice in 1998. Dr Patel lived and served the patients in one of the countries most deprived areas for over 36 years and as a General Practice Provider, he has served and continues to serve the communities of high needs area with same focus and commitment of service to the patients by having created a largest low cost GP practice in the country.
Distinguished Fellowship for Dr Kantlal Naranji Patel
Mrs. Ranjna Patel QSM,JP was born in New Zealand; her family is in New Zealand for three generations now. Mrs. Ranjna Patel is a JP (Justice of Peace and Marriage Celebrant since 1996). She has been supporting Dr Patelfrom establishment to management and growth of his clinical practice. She has been instrumental in building professional relations with the New Zealand’s Ministry of Health and District Health Boards. She has been taking up health promotion endeavors with Ministry of Health and CMDHB to enhance and promote health awareness amongst the local communities in South Auckland.
ETHC under the leadership of Dr Kantilal N Patel, has been delivering health forums and education session in Community based settings for the past many years. Awareness Campaigns like cancer education, diabetes screening, cardio vascular screening are being organised at local and regional level. The organization has run successful Self Management Education (SME) sessions to increase awareness and promote health in the community.
ETHC has worked closely with the community leaders, community networks, Primary Health Organizations (PHOs) and Providers to promote healthcare programmes and to raise health standards. Almost every south Auckland household would know Dr Kantilal and Mrs. Ranjna Patel and their enduring courage to serve the community for more than three decades.
Not just in the medical field and community endeavors have this couple committed themselves to, they have very generously been contributing to the religious and social endeavors of communities at large in Auckland. They were involved in establishing the first Hindu Temple; Bhartiya Mandir in Central Auckland in 1986. Very recently in 2008 Lord Swaminarayan Hindu Temple was constructed by the initiatve of Dr Patel. Indian Community in South Auckland witnessed a spectacular opening of a magnificent Hindu Temple. This temple is an architectural wonder which is a true gift to Indians in New Zealand. This temple serves as the place of worship and also is a community hall for social and religious gatherings.
Dr Kantilal Naranji Patel is a quietly spoken, humble and hard working community leader. It is his contribution over and above his normal professional scope of General Practitioner that makes him deserving and worthy of this national recognition.
Mrs. Ranjna Patel, a lady immaculate with a decisive frame of mind follows a righteous path to integrate resources in promoting health standards and awareness in various communities of Auckland.
Despite all the contributions made and recognitions rendered, the couple is humbled further to say that there is a lot more to be done and that they will continue to serve.
