The Wairoa community, facing a severe shortage of dental services, is offering a fully furnished house as part of a job package to attract a dentist. The initiative aims to fill a critical gap in oral healthcare in the rural town.
In addition to the dentist position, a dental kaiarahi (assistant) is being advertised to provide chair-side support to the Mene Mai Ano clinical team. The deadline for applications for the assistant role is July 17, 2026.
Paku, the organization behind the recruitment, hopes to hire two dentists, as the unit can operate with either two dentists or a combination of dentists and assistants. The offer includes a house to make the position more attractive in a region where housing is limited.
This recruitment drive underscores the ongoing challenges in attracting healthcare professionals to rural New Zealand, where incentives like housing are increasingly used to address workforce shortages.
