10 Mar 2017

Cook Islands outlines health aims

2:02 pm on 10 March 2017

The Cook Islands Ministry of Health has outlined how it plans to develop its workforce over the next eight years.

Natasha Martin (Te Arawa, Ngāti Ranginui), who will be the tumuaki or head of the 2016 Te Oranga, Māori Medical Students Aotearoa. She is pictured on her placement at Rarotonga Hospital in the Cook Islands.

Rarotonga Hospital Photo: Supplied

It launched its Health Workforce Plan for 2016-2025 at Rarotonga Hospital this week.

The Cook Islands News quoted the Health Minister Nandi Glassie saying the plan would give the ministry a lot of energy and focus.

He said they wanted to ensure staff were trained to the best of their ability and if this required training overseas, they would do that.

The workforce plan aims to substantially build capacity and capability and to attract specialists in general surgery, medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology.

Mr Glassie said they also wanted to strengthen general practice training in Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Pukapuka and to bolster general nursing practitioner training and development with a view to providing health leadership across all outer islands.

The plan was drawn up by New Zealand-based company Health Specialists Ltd.

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