Hon Tariana Turia

Associate Minister of Health

Friday 12 October 2012; 9am

SPEECH

Opening address – Pasifika Medical Association

Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre, Auckland

Workforce – Strengthening Strategies, Supporting Careers

Malo e lelei, Talofa lava; Fakalofa lahi atu, Aloha; Ni sa bula vinaka; Namaste; Fakatalofa atu, Noa’ia; Taloha ni, Halo olketa, Kia orana; Mauri, Tēnā koutou katoa

President Dr Kiki Maoate; Chief Executive Debbie Sorensen; Dr Joseph Williams, and the Executive Board of the Pasifika Medical Association – thank you for the honour of opening this conference session.

It is extremely exciting to be here with you at this forum – I understand to be the largest gathering of Pasifika health professionals in the region.

I understand that we have in the room – along with former Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers – health professionals from Australia, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Niue, Solomon Islands and Aotearoa. That’s quite a roll call.

We will need every single one of you here to commit to the overall strategy for this conference to strengthen the health workforce and to improve the services and the approaches taken to achieve health gain.

It is a tall order but I have every confidence we will do it.

Here’s why.

The other day I had a very learned gentleman in my office.

He’s a Professor of Medicine; he holds bachelor’s degrees in Science medicine and surgery. He has a doctorate in medicine; a doctorate in philosophy and he’s the Executive Chair of Health Workforce New Zealand. So when Professor Des Gorman speaks, he speaks with a particular authority.

He told me that the highlight of his university year – the absolute highlight – was the Pacific Graduation from Medical School. He told us how there would be one Pacific graduate standing on the stage who would tell the audience how they owed everything to Mum and Dad, for working three jobs, for sacrificing their life for their child’s future career.

The parents would then come onto to the stage, and there would be mention of Uncle who helped out in a practical sense, taking on an extra job to help pay the student fees. Then aunty would join them; her contribution had been to work extended hours in order to help with the costs. Before long the stage would be full – bearing witness to that saying, it takes a village to raise a child. There wouldn’t be a dry eye in the House – as the extent of whānau support was appreciated.

It was a powerful demonstration of Whānau Ora in action.

The metaphor of the full stage has great meaning at a number of levels.

It explains why retention and completion rates are so high – with so many members of the family investing in their students, success becomes a collective priority.

But it’s also about accountability of the highest order – when your family are right beside you, every step of the way, there is no greater incentive to be making the most of your opportunities – and doing good by them.

That amazing bond of community is an enormous asset for the Pasifika health sector.

There is a Tongan saying which crystallises this view

Ko e masiva ōku ongo taha, a e hala ha kāinga

To have no kin is to be in extreme poverty.

The challenge is before us, that if we really want to live in prosperity and good health, then we must take into account the wellbeing of the whole family, the whole household.

In order to do that, the health sector must understand the value of a collective approach to wellbeing; an approach grounded in culture.

And I want to congratulate all those involved in putting together the draft Pacific Workforce Service Forecast who have invested in a vision for 2020 as a “culturally competent workforce helping pacific people live longer, healthier lives”.

I have to say that in doing so, you are at the cutting edge of health innovation.

Cultural competence is a requirement of all statutorily regulated health practitioners – and has been since 2003.

But it has been evident, from the ongoing disparities, that many of our health practitioners have struggled with turning the policy into practice. So in June this year, I launched the first online foundation course on cultural competencies designed specifically for health workforce professionals.

By placing cultural competence at the very forefront of your workforce strategy, you are sending a very clear message that culture counts; and getting it right matters.

Of course we also – and urgently - need to grow the talents, skills and experience of the Pacific workforce in significant numbers.

Preliminary data tells us up to 30,000 Pacific adults are under-utilised; and that less than one percent of young people in the 16 to 24 year age group are studying towards becoming a doctor or a nurse.

So how exactly do we increase numbers, grow the health workforce?

It goes without saying that Pasifika people must have a major say.

LeVa Pasifika developed a Pacific Public Health Workforce Development Implementation plan which was based around four priorities:

· Support recruitment and retention

· Enhance responsiveness

· Strengthen Pacific leadership

· Facilitate Pacific led solutions.

We need to strengthen Pacific providers to deliver quality health services; we need the right Pacific people with the right skills in the right places.

And importantly, we must act with our young people in mind, with every decision we make.

One of the most exciting site visits I have been on is a visit I made to Otahuhu last year when I spent time at their College Science Academy. It was so wonderful to see the level of enthusiasm from students in years 11 to 13, as they pursued science and health based curriculum choices to pave the way towards a health career.

But I wonder if we should be starting earlier – making chemistry come alive through basic cooking lessons – if I add baking soda to hot milk the mixture will froth up - it’s the transformer strategy.

That’s a practical strategy – but it’s also about hearts and minds. How do we encourage our children to grow their ambitions; to realise their potential; to know they can do anything?

This is where we come back to the roll call I began this address with – it starts with us.

And I do want to make mention of some of the excellent initiatives I see in my position as Associate Minister. To name just a few:

· The Pacific Island Affairs Leadership Development Centre programme;

· The Aniva Whitireia Pacific Nursing Leadership Fellowship; and the Aniva Leadership Core programme;

· The regional training hubs established by Health workforce New Zealand

· And of course Healthcare Heroes and the mentoring initiatives the Pasifika Medical Association has pioneered.

But there is always room for more.

And that is why I pushed hard to establish a Pacific Innovations Fund that will see six million dollars invested into Pacific health innovations over the next four years.

I’m really looking forward to seeing all the amazing ideas coming out of the Pasifika Medical Association – and indeed after this conference – take fruit and embed innovation into our daily practice.

Finally, I want to just make mention of one of the innovations that has really inspired me – and that is the work coming out of FLEP – Family Life Education Pasefika.

One of their strategies is summed up in three letters – 2 X L

The 2 X L programme encourages our young people to excel at whatever they set their hearts on. It’s about combining drama, dance, art and song in a way which truly engages the students to think about their expectations, their aspirations, their ambitions.

I know that FLEP has shared much of their ideas and inspiration with medical schools throughout the country – and so I would hope that their leadership in affirming and engaging youth will be well known throughout your services.

Throughout this conference, it is obvious to me that you are taking the full stage approach to growing the health workforce; to improve health outcomes.

No doubt a high point will be the Bigger Browner Better debate on Saturday; but it’s great to also see the emphasis on mentoring; on Pacific Journeys; on growing our own doctors; on critical supporters; on real life heroes.

I hope you leave this conference hungry to know more; eager to ask more.

To place key questions on every family agenda – how do we build our families to be self-determining; how do we build family capability to manage their lives; to live with resilience and with strength?

We all know that the biggest challenge facing Pasifika providers in Aotearoa; and Pacific countries in the region, is the ability to grow and support a health workforce with the skills and experience to meet the needs of your own diverse populations.

This forum is vital in helping you to strategise; to collaborate; and to share.

I wish you much courage, fortitude and creativity in starting to shape the future for a world your grandchildren will inherit.

May you go well; and go strong; in making the difference. Tēnā koutou katoa.

ends

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