(PR.co.nz) Pacific Healthcare students rewarded
More than 200 Pacific scholarships are being awarded at this year’s Pacific Health Workforce Awards in Auckland.
“To have so many successful candidates of such outstanding calibre is very good news for overall Pacific health outcomes,” says Pacific Island Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu.
This year 203 Pacific students in medicine, nursing, oral health, midwifery and the allied health areas of physiotherapy and social work are receiving awards at the annual Pacific Health Workforce Awards
“That’s slightly up on the number of scholarships awarded last year and well up on just 24 scholarships awarded in the ten years up until 2007,” Mrs te Heuheu says.
The award scheme, worth $1.7 million this year, aims to develop the Pacific workforce and is part of the Ministry of Health’s Pacific Provider and Workforce Development Fund Programme of action for 2009/10 to 2011/12 (Serau).
Increasing the Pacific health workforce is one of six priorities for the programme.
“The National government is committed to improving health outcomes for all New Zealanders, including Pacific communities. These Awards are hugely important for the future wellbeing of Pacific communities,” Mrs te Heuheu says.
“Each of these recipients has made an important commitment to the health and wellbeing of New Zealand’s population, including Pacific families and communities. They are committing time and effort to acquiring qualifications which will stand them, and us, in good stead.
“They are the guardians of the health and wellbeing of our future generations,” Mrs te Heuheu said.
Media Release from Georgina te Heuheu on 6 May 2011