Memea Bubsy Eleitino Ma’aelopa (left) and Dr Terepai Moate at the Pasifika medical conference. Photo: Gladys Hartson-Shingles/APJ

A special two-day conference called Healthcare Heroes is being held today and tomorrow  for mentoring up to 200 year 13 Pacific students studying science in Manukau. Pasifika health professionals are seeking ways to boost career appeal to the youth.

Pacific Scoop
Report – By Gladys Hartson-Shingles

Health workers and professionals want to boost the sector attractions to young Pacific people and encourage them to take up a health career.

“We need to show young people the options of what their life can be like if they are looking at a career in health,” former Cook Islands prime minister Dr Joe Williams told a conference.

Speaking at the three-day Pasifika Medical Association conference in Auckland, he said the three main objectives of the forum were workforce development, leadership within the health sector and changing statistics.

CEO of the Pasifika Medical Association Debbie Sorenson and Dr Joe Williams of the Cook Islands at the conference. Photo: Gladys Hartson-Shingles/APJ

Dr Williams, a general practitioner, said it was important that young people were part of the conference and they were exposed to Pacific people in the health industry.

One of the outcomes of the three day conference is to provide a forum for the health sector to discuss local and regional issues affecting Pacific people.

Memea Bubsy Eleitino Ma’aelopa from Christchurch said young people were an important focus.

“It’s about trying to change the attitude of secondary school students and to encourage them to study health,” Ma’aelopa said.

“Those of us in the industry have a responsibility to mentor students who are interested in health and help them with their choice of studies from high school through to tertiary level.”

Wider pool
Anne Fitisemanu, a Pacific workforce development manager with the Auckland District Health Board, said the pool needed to be widened and a strategy developed to entice Pacific youth into the health sector.

“Our students need to know a career in health can take you around the world,” she said.

Fitisemanu said it was also about highlighting different career paths within the health industry.

“It’s not just about being a doctor or nurse. There are so many different areas in health and it’s about having a broad knowledge of what’s out there.”

A young Pacific Islands woman, Captain Kalo Lalahi, a medical officer at Burnham military camp, shared her experiences about working overseas.

Fitisemanu said examples like that represented the new mix of Pacific Island young people making a difference.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs website, in 15 to 20 years one in five New Zealand children will be Pasifika. In the younger age (15–39) workforce, Pacific people will be one in eight.

Dr Williams said New Zealanders need to look at changes that were happening within the community.

Workforce development
“Workforce development is important and we have to look at how to train our people.”

Memea Bubsy Eleitino Ma’aelopa has worked closely with Pacific students at the University of Canterbury for more than 20 years.

He said students needed to be considering their choice of subjects before they entered tertiary studies.

“A good foundation for students is to get in touch with Pacific Islands advisory staff at university who can guide you with courses you should be taking if you want to study sciences.”

Fitisemanu said not only were students at secondary level considered but also at intermediate.

“It’s about sowing the seeds, not only with our students]. It’s about sowing the seeds to parents.”

An area of concern for Memea Bubsy Eleitino Ma’aelopa is the lack of Pacific health professionals in Christchurch.

He says while it’s great to see students studying towards a career in health, not many choose to practise in Canterbury.

“Our organisation, Pacific Trust, is trying to get Pacific Islands doctors to come down to Christchurch.”

Students leave
Ma’aelopa  said students studied and then they left.

Dr Williams said large proportions of Pacific people lived in the North Island and a large number in Counties Manukau in Auckland.

“If you want to work with Pacific people you have to go where the people are,” Dr Williams said.

Fitisemanu said she could understand that Pacific people tended to be drawn to their own communities.

Memea Bubsy Eleitino Ma’aelopa said there were other barriers besides location, such as finance, that may put off students pursuing a career in health.

Fitisemanu says this should not be a deterrent. She said finance was an issue for all students.

While she acknowledges there were always issues, the rewards were worth it.

Pathway to world
“Working in health gives you a pathway to the world. Not only will you see the benefits in terms of earning capacity but the benefits of serving your community and the wider health sector,” Fitisemanu said.

“We need a good number of Pacific health professionals coming through the ranks, we need to reflect that and I think that’s happening.”

Ma’aelopa has seen Pacific women excelling in the health industry and holding high ranked positions.

Fitisemanu said thinking outside the square and introducing innovative ways to attract the Pacific Islands youth into a career in health was exciting and ongoing.

“It’s about mentoring our youth and keeping science alive.”

Gladys Hartson-Shingles is a Graduate Diploma in Journalism student on the Reporting the Pacific Region course at AUT University.

Pasifika Health Association