Māori voice for health workforce issues
3 June 2004
A new group dealing with Māori health workforce issues says its first job will be to identify initiatives that will boost recruitment of Māori into health training courses.
The Māori Health and Disability Workforce Sub-Committee, a new Sub-Committee of the Health Workforce Advisory Committee (HWAC), has held its first meeting and is enthusiastic about the possibilities to influence Māori health workforce issues.
Chair Colin Mantell says the group is excited about its tasks and challenges ahead. He says there are formidable barriers to recruitment of Māori into all areas of the Māori health and disability workforce.
“There must be more encouragement and support for Māori students to qualify for tertiary health programmes and there needs to be opportunities for second-chance learning and help with such things as managing student debt, all of which are currently holding back entry to courses and recruitment”.
“We also believe that health providers (both DHBs and Māori providers) need to play a more active role in encouraging young people within their communities into health as a career,” says Prof Mantell.
The Māori Health and Disability Sub-Committee was established following a HWAC summit last year, when it was identified that a national Māori group capable of strong leadership was needed. The establishment of the Sub-Committee and the appointment of a new Māori member to HWAC, Taima Campbell, were approved by the Minister of Health, Hon Annette King.
Members of the Sub-Committee have considerable experience in both clinical and management aspects of health – both population health and Māori health.
Committee members are:
Taima Campbell (no Ngāti Tamatera me Ngāti Maru)
Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery, ADHB
Dr Paratene Ngata (no Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga a Hauiti me Ngāti Ira)
General Practitioner
Fiona Pimm (no Ngāi Tahu)
Chief Executive Office, He Oranga Poumanu
Lynette Stewart (no Ngātiwai, Ngātihene me Tainui)
Chairperson, NDHB
Haydn Wano (no Taranaki, Te Atiawa me Ngāti Awa)
Chair, Taranaki DHB
Prof Colin Mantell (no Ngāi Tahu) Chair
Tumuaki, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland
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