Family GP clinic

Papatoetoe Family Doctors

Caring for South Auckland families, every step of the way.

Personalised healthcare for every stage of life—delivered by a trusted, multidisciplinary team.

Meet our team

Dr Karl Cole

Dr Karl Cole

General Practitioner

MB ChB 1995 Otago, FRNZCGP 2004, PGDIP HEALINFO

Karl, of Ngāi Tahu descent, is currently a Chief Clinical Information Officer at HealthAlliance and working 5/10’s clinical practice at Papatoetoe Family Doctors. Genuinely passionate about patient enablement and supporting self-care.

Karl has won the Procare GP leadership award for work in Patient centred design, including advocating for the benefits of Patient portals – giving patients secure online access to their notes. Active in Clinical informatics as a founding Fellow of the Health Informatics NZ.

He was an NZ Army Medical officer for 15 years. He gained NZ Army Commendation for service and a TTCP program award for human factors research, involving deployments to East Timor, Bali and others. As such, he gained experience in tropical medicine, well health checks, military occupational and diving medicine, and family medicine.

He gained a fellowship with the Royal NZ College GPs in 2004 and has been elected as the new College Board member. He is married and has three children.

Dr Diane Leach

Dr Diane Leach

General Practitioner

MB BCh 1991, FRNZCGP 2014

Diane is a fellow of the Royal NZ College GPs. She graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa in 1991. She and her cardiologist husband emigrated to NZ in 1996.

She worked as a paediatric registrar in South Africa for several years before coming to NZ. She then spent time at Starship Hospital as a registrar. She is part owner of Papatoetoe Family Doctors, where she has worked for the past 25 years and recently joined Third Age Health as an Associate Medical director.

She loves all aspects of general practice and has enjoyed watching her patients grow up and start their own families. She is particularly interested in paediatrics and looking after the elderly. Her role at Third Age Health, working alongside the clinical team and practitioners, will hopefully help realise the vision of providing an integrated care model for older adults. She is also very involved in women’s health and cardiovascular health assessment and prevention.

Outside work, she has three boys who keep her busy with all their activities.

Dr Randall Sturm

Dr Randall Sturm

General Practitioner

MB CHB 1995 Auckland, FRACGP 2000, FRNZCGP 2001

Randall is a New Zealand born and educated General Practitioner passionate about the health and welfare of our community.

After completing medical training in Auckland, he initially spent time in rural Australia and obtained the Australian GP Fellowship. He gained the NZ GP Fellowship in 2000 upon return to NZ and has been in a South Auckland General Practice ever since. He completed his business degree, MBA, in 2003.

He is married and has three children. He plays golf and likes following his children’s sporting interests to keep him fit.

Dr Tej Tangirala

Dr Tej Tangirala

General Practitioner

MB BS 2012 RGUHS, FRNZCGP 2025

Tej is an Indo-kiwi, Born and bred in India and NZ. He grew up in Ellerslie and attended Penrose High School (One Tree Hill College). He did his medical education in Bangalore, India, graduating in 2012.

He moved back to NZ in 2015. Tej gained valuable experience as a junior doctor in India and NZ in hospitals across the Wellington and Auckland region before enrolling in the GP training program in 2019. His particular interest is managing upper limb sports injuries and learn more about skin conditions and minor skin surgery.

Married to another doctor, he has a toddler son who keeps him busy outside work. He likes balancing work life with spending time outdoors with family, hiking and enjoying playing any sport (cricket, squash and badminton being my favourites).

Dr Elizabeth Sewell

Dr Elizabeth Sewell

General Practitioner

MB ChB 1989 Otago; FRNZCGP 2001

Liz has been working as a Family Doctor in South Auckland for over 25 years. She highly values continuity of care, so she understands her patients health concerns clearly. She enjoys the long term relationship with her patients and also meeting and getting to know new patients.

She consults across a broad range or General Practice, loves meeting new born babies and also looking after the elderly into their 90’s. She has a special interest in both women’s health and the mental health needs of her patients.

Outside of work she has 3 children still at home, aged between 16 and 24 yrs! She loves tennis playing 2-3x per week, arranging the social ladder at her club. She also enjoys yoga when time allows!

Dr (Mrs) Kalash Deva

Dr (Mrs) Kalash Deva

General Practitioner

MB ChB 1985 Otago; Dip Obst 1987 Auckland; FRNZCGP 1999

Kalash was born and raised in West Auckland. She completed her medical training at Otago University in Dunedin before moving back to Auckland, where she obtained a Diploma in Obstetrics at Auckland University.

Following this, she worked as a locum doctor across Auckland before settling in South Auckland in 1989, where she has lived ever since. She worked in Otara for 11 years before moving to Papatoetoe.

She was a Ministry of Health-approved trainer for Family Violence Intervention in Primary Care for 15 years. Outside of work, she has been the team doctor for the ANZ Premier Stars Team based in Papakura.

She is married with 2 children. She spends her spare time with her family and in the garden. She loves South Auckland.

Dr Seini Pole

Dr Seini Pole

Telehealth GP

MB ChB 2019 Auckland

Dr Seini sees patients by video only (Mon–Wed). Book a video appointment through MyIndici, then join the call from your phone or computer. No app needed.

Book online (existing patients) How telehealth works

Alora Whittaker

Alora Whittaker

Practice Nurse

Alora joined our growing and busy practice in April 2019. She completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing degree back in 1989. She is NZ Nursing Council Registered and has 20-plus years of experience in general practice. She had overseas experience in both the Philippines and Dubai as a nurse before meeting her Kiwi husband and settling in New Zealand.

She is a certified smear taker and independent immunisation vaccinator. She is also a busy mother who loves singing, dancing and cheering her son at sporting events.

Sharon Vandana

Sharon Vandana

Practice Nurse

Sharon Vandana is a registered nurse who qualified with a Diploma in General and Obstetric Nursing in Fiji in 2007. Sharon did her Post Graduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing from the University of Auckland in 2013. She has worked in general practice and urgent care settings in New Zealand since 2008. Previously worked at The Doctors Onehunga as a nurse manager, She joined Papatoetoe Family Doctors in 2019 as a practice nurse.

Her interest lies in women’s health, and she has over six years of experience in smear taking. She is particularly interested in educating women hesitant to get their cervical smears done. Sharon is passionate about breaking this barrier and making the experience less stressful for women.

Sharon enjoys exploring the outdoors with her family and spending quality time with her kids in her spare time.

Jasmine Faiza

Jasmine Faiza

Advanced Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP)

Jasmine is a registered social worker with speciality in Bi-Culturalism. She is a migrant from Fiji and living in New Zealand for over 25 years. She is an experienced Health Improvement Practitioner.

Over 3 years she has worked in 5 different clinics. In the past years, she has worked 7 years as school Social Worker and 3 years as a counsellor in National Telehealth Service. She has worked in retail outlets. She has qualifications in counselling, business and naturopathy. She is passionate about community development, health and alternative medicine/therapies.

She developed a model called the Poi for trauma and mental health. She facilitates wellness-based programmes in her community.

She likes traveling, socializing and developing personally/professionally. She has interests in spiritual healing. Jasmine is a mother of 2 adolescent boys and enjoys outdoor activities with them.

Jaap Rigtering

Jaap Rigtering

Senior Health Improvement Practitioner (HIP)

Jaap has been a Senior HIP for 5+ years and has a 22 year clinical background in Occupational Therapy. He lives in Onehunga with his wife and his 6 year old son.

He asked his sister to describe him in a few words and she replied “outgoing, energetic, caring, always talking, always active, insightful and empathetic”.

He loves being busy, working on his house, garden, playing with his son or when he wants to relax building his own Lego models.

Fillicia Widjaya

Fillicia Widjaya

Practice Manager

Trisha Fa'avae

Trisha Fa'avae

Medical Receptionist

Helena kleis

Helena kleis

Medical Receptionist

Tessa Fa’ave

Tessa Fa’ave

Medical Receptionist

Common questions

Do I get to choose which doctor I see at your clinic?

We encourage continuity of care, so many patients see the same doctor over time. When you book, you can request your preferred doctor if available, or we can assign you based on availability.

Does the clinic train medical students or doctors in training?

Yes. We are an accredited teaching practice with the University of Auckland, so you may see registrars or medical students working alongside our doctors with your consent.

Who can I see if I need mental health support but don't want to see a GP?

Our Health Improvement Practitioners (HIPs) and Health Coaches offer direct support without a GP referral in most cases. You can speak to your doctor about connecting you with the right team member.

What should I know about the practice nurses, and can they handle my health concern?

Our nurses are experienced in general practice, immunisations, smear taking, blood tests, and medication management. Many routine health needs can be handled by a nurse appointment, which costs $15 for enrolled patients.

Can I see a female doctor, or do you have doctors who speak my language?

Yes. We have female doctors on staff including Dr Diane Leach, Dr Liz Sewell, Dr Kalash Deva, and Dr Seini Pole. Our team is multilingual and culturally diverse. Request your preference when booking, and we'll do our best to match you.

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Ready to join? Call 09 278 2578 or Enrol online

Contact us

Quickest answer: ask Aroha

Aroha is our online receptionist. She answers common questions straight away, any time of day, so you don't have to wait on the phone.

To book, change or cancel an appointment, ask about test results, or for anything urgent, please call us.

PAPATOETOE FAMILY DOCTORS

+64 9 278 2578

Mon–Fri: 8:30am–5pm
Sat: 9am–1pm

2/65 Saint George Street, Papatoetoe,
Auckland 2025, New Zealand

Or send us a message

For general questions, Aroha can usually answer straight away.

Please don't include health details in this form. For anything urgent call 09 278 2578, or 111 in an emergency.