More Doctors Coming to Tainui Rohe

Waikato-Tainui has welcomed today’s announcement from the Minister of Health and the University of Waikato confirming that four regions across the Tainui waka rohe have been identified as clinical placement locations for the New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine (NZGSM).

North Waikato, Hauraki/Thames-Coromandel, South Waikato, and Waipa/King Country will each host Community Clinical Learning Centres as part of the NZGSM’s distributed clinical placement network, with Waikato Hospital serving as the anchor hospital for Year 2 hospital-based placements.

Te Arataura Chair Tukoroirangi Morgan says this is a serious investment in our local communities as the system attempts to grow the General Practitioner pool available to our people.  The programme will welcome its first cohort of 120 students in 2028, with clinical placements commencing from 2029.

“The North Waikato corridor was one of three iwi-led proposals across the Tainui waka rohe, driven by Waikato-Tainui and supported by our Pikonga collective and its wider stakeholder network,” says Tuku.

“We acknowledge the way in which the University of Waikato has approached this phase of the NZGSM programme, including the pre-announcement engagement that has honoured the Kawenata relationship between Waikato-Tainui, the Kingitanga, and the University.”

“We are looking forward to continuing that partnership approach as the next phase of implementation planning begins

“The introduction of a third medical school is a game changer for our people but the system needs to pivot further and other medical schools need to catch up because Iwi across the country are crying out for this approach,” says Tuku.

*Photo credit: Stephen Barker / Barker Photography.