The Bay of Plenty District Health Board's regional director for Maori health says many family members of children injured in the crash between a school bus and a logging truck have been visiting them in Whakatane Hospital.
Nine pupils, or tauira, and the bus driver are still in hospital, in Whakatane, Auckland, Rotorua and Tauranga, as a result of the crash near Ruatoki on Monday.
The board's director of Maori health, Amohaere Tangitu, says most of the children are related, and many family members have gone to visit them in Whakatane Hospital.
Ms Tangitu says the children have coped well but were deeply affected.
She said some children started to talk about their ordeal and you could see they had been in a very traumatic situation.
Ms Tangitu says when family members started coming into the hospital, it seemed to ease the childrens' pain and anxiety.