August 28, 2018
New school to boost Māori physios
Midland District Health Board hopes a new Bachelor of Physiotherapy programme will help meet growing demand for physiotherapists in the central North Island and also attract more Māori and Pasifika into the field.
Waikato Institute of Technology is awaiting final approval from the NZ Qualifications Authority and the NZ Physiotherapy Board, and hopes to open enrolment in October.
Lianne Kohere, who heads Midland’s Kia Ora Hauora Māori Health workforce development programme, says with 26 per cent of the region’s population identifying as Māori and 7 per cent as Pasifika, there is a clear need for a culturally responsive course.
"We don’t have enough Māori and Pasifika in the profession so having a degree pathway in our region is an amazing opportunity for Māori and Pasifika," she says.
The four-year programme will blend on-campus, online and clinical education and means students won’t have to got to Auckland or Dunedin to study physiotherapy.
Copyright © 2018, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com