Tuesday, 10 September 2024 14:55

Scholarships another step forward - Doocey

Written by  Staff Reporters
Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey. Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey.

Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says scholarships awarded to 27 healthcare students yesterday are another step forward to boosting the rural health workforce.

The scholarships range from $2,500 to $5,000 and were awarded to assist students from rural backgrounds continue their study in healthcare.

The scholarships come from a funding pool of $90,000 provided to Rural Women New Zealand by Te Whatu Ora.

The students receiving the scholarships are studying a range of specialities from medicine, nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, pharmacy, Māori nursing and applied counselling.

“We know access to health care within rural communities, or being supported to access care when required, are key issues for rural communities. To improve access and rural health outcomes we need to invest in growing the rural health workforce,” says Doocey.

“I would like to congratulate the 27 students who have received scholarships and wish them all the best in their future studies and hope that they have a long and fulfilling career in healthcare,” he adds.

Rural Women New Zealand chief executive Marie Fitzpatrick says there was a “huge level of interest” in the scholarships.

“It can be extremely difficult to undertake study from a rural community and anything we can do to make study a little bit easier is great,” Fitzgerald says.

“While these scholarships cannot solve some of the challenges of travel and studying away from family and whanau, it is our hope they can help alleviate some of the students’ financial challenges,” she says.

“We know New Zealand faces a significant shortage of health professionals in our rural towns and regional communities, so it is great to see recipients studying in a broad range of fields including in the areas of medicine, nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, physiotherapy and counselling.”

Dr Sarah Clarke, national clinical director primary and community care at Te Whatu Ora says she congratulates the successful applicants and wants to recognise their hard work and commitment to their studies.

“Addressing the rural health workforce shortage is a priority for Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and we are committed to improving health outcomes for our rural communities,” Clarke says.

“I look forward to seeing these scholarship recipients joining our rural health workforce over the coming years as they complete their studies.”

More like this

Mocktails and menopause

For those rural women who feel menopause might be getting the best of them, a series of events is heading to the Waikato that could help.

Say nothing!

OPINION: Normally farmer good organisations are happy to use the media to get their message across to politicians and the consumers.

Deliverance

OPINION: Rural services such as banks, health and postal services have been declining for years, so this mutt was tickled pink to hear Rural Women NZ on national TV slamming the impact of post office closures in rural areas.

Featured

Help for flood-stricken farmers

Multiple agencies are working to help farmers in Otago hit by the recent floods and Southland farmers who have faced many months of adverse weather.

Shift in farm sales, prices

Farm sales are on the rise. According to recent data from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ), there was an 18.9% increase in farm sales for the three months ending August 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

National

A leader among CEOs

Richard Burke, a leading CEO in the primary sector, has departed from a company he's played a huge part in…

Ideal weather for growers

Specialist horticulture and viticulture weather forecasters Metris are reporting near ideal spring start conditions for fruit growers this season.

LIC ready for challenges ahead

Herd improvement company LIC says it's well-positioned for the challenges ahead and remains focused on its core purpose - delivering…

Machinery & Products

New F5 balers from McHale

Irish grassland machinery manufacturer McHale has unveiled the new four-model range of F5 fixed chamber balers.

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Trump tariffs

OPINION: Former politicians seem incapable of staying away from the limelight after they retire.

Air Miles

OPINION: The latest travel receipts for MPs are in (April – June 2024).

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter