Rural General Practitioner - Volunteer in Vanuatu
Closing Date: 13 August 2025
Category: Healthcare & Medical
Kia ora, Halo and warm Pacific greetings,
Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is
Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora.
Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū.
Connecting People – Transforming Lives.
Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.
Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role
This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer to share your experience,
skills and knowledge to serve and build capacity in Vanuatu. Work alongside our local partner organisation to plan and create a brighter future for all.
We are looking for an experienced GP or someone with the right level of transferrable skills, who understands and shares the spirit of volunteering, with a keen interest in building capability in the Pacific (while embracing a new cultural experience).
The length of this assignment in Vanuatu will be 12 months.
VSA will support you by funding and organizing your flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while you are on assignment.
Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako – Essential skills/experiences for the role
If you are interested in this opportunity, below are some of the key skills and experiences that we’re looking for.
• Clinical Competence in:
o Primary care and general medicine
o Maternal and child health
o Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) management
• Emergency care experience
• Public health knowledge
• Training and Mentorship Skills
• Experience working in resource-limited settings
Important note: Due to our VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be a NZ citizen or NZ Permanent Resident to progress further in our recruitment process.
Our Partner Organisation – Norsup Hospital
Norsup Hospital is the main Ministry of Health hospital for Malampa province and is located on the largest island, Malekula, in the town of Norsup. The hospital services the islands of Malampa Province, serving a population of approximately 42,000 people. The hospital serves a high needs rural population of primarily subsistence farmers and their families and aims to provide 24/7 acute care and outpatient clinics for the local population as well as providing outreach clinics to meet the needs of more remote communities. The hospital has 40 beds and approximately 70 staff. There are outlying aid posts, community clinics and dispensaries on the islands across the province that provide basic primary health care to the community and the resources are supplied from Norsup Hospital.
The Assignment
There is currently only one junior doctor based at Norsup Hospital (NH) providing 24/7 care to the community. They are supported by nurse practitioners who provide most of the outpatient clinic services. There is a lack of opportunity for mentorship and clinical supervision in this challenging rural hospital environment for the junior medical team.
The benefits of this volunteer Rural General Practitioner will be seen at the individual level with junior doctors and nurse practitioners becoming better, more well-rounded medical professionals. This will have flow on effects at a local population level to improve the standard of healthcare delivered at the hospital and beyond.
At the national level it is hoped that the benefits of having a Rural General Practitioner working at Norsup Hospital will contribute to steps towards creating a local rural and remote specialist training programme. This will benefit the significant proportion of the population of Vanuatu who are based in the provinces by improving the quality of healthcare delivered in these rural settings.
The Country – Vanuatu
Vanuatu is situated on a volcanic archipelago of 86 islands where traditional lifestyles exist side by side with modern tourist resorts. Around 110 indigenous languages are still spoken by an average of only 2,000 people per language, making it the country with the highest density of languages per capita in the world.
The majority of people living in Vanuatu are Melanesian. It is a predominantly Christian country. Vanuatu culture retains a strong diversity derived from regional variations and an adherence to custom (traditional practices and lifestyles).
Vanuatu's economy is primarily agriculture-based and engages approximately 80 per cent of the population. Copra, kava and beef make up more than 75 per cent of total agricultural exports, with agriculture accounting for around 20 per cent of GDP.
Me pēhea te tuku tono| How to apply:
Apply for this opportunity through our website.
For more information or if you have any questions on this assignment, email volunteer@vsa.org.nz.
To review the full assignment description please copy and paste the below link into your browser:
For a copy of the Assignment Description, please click the apply button which will direct you to the VSA website. You will be able to download a copy from the advertisement.
Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is
Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora.
Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū.
Connecting People – Transforming Lives.
Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.
Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role
This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer to share your experience,
skills and knowledge to serve and build capacity in Vanuatu. Work alongside our local partner organisation to plan and create a brighter future for all.
We are looking for an experienced GP or someone with the right level of transferrable skills, who understands and shares the spirit of volunteering, with a keen interest in building capability in the Pacific (while embracing a new cultural experience).
The length of this assignment in Vanuatu will be 12 months.
VSA will support you by funding and organizing your flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while you are on assignment.
Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako – Essential skills/experiences for the role
If you are interested in this opportunity, below are some of the key skills and experiences that we’re looking for.
• Clinical Competence in:
o Primary care and general medicine
o Maternal and child health
o Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) management
• Emergency care experience
• Public health knowledge
• Training and Mentorship Skills
• Experience working in resource-limited settings
Important note: Due to our VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be a NZ citizen or NZ Permanent Resident to progress further in our recruitment process.
Our Partner Organisation – Norsup Hospital
Norsup Hospital is the main Ministry of Health hospital for Malampa province and is located on the largest island, Malekula, in the town of Norsup. The hospital services the islands of Malampa Province, serving a population of approximately 42,000 people. The hospital serves a high needs rural population of primarily subsistence farmers and their families and aims to provide 24/7 acute care and outpatient clinics for the local population as well as providing outreach clinics to meet the needs of more remote communities. The hospital has 40 beds and approximately 70 staff. There are outlying aid posts, community clinics and dispensaries on the islands across the province that provide basic primary health care to the community and the resources are supplied from Norsup Hospital.
The Assignment
There is currently only one junior doctor based at Norsup Hospital (NH) providing 24/7 care to the community. They are supported by nurse practitioners who provide most of the outpatient clinic services. There is a lack of opportunity for mentorship and clinical supervision in this challenging rural hospital environment for the junior medical team.
The benefits of this volunteer Rural General Practitioner will be seen at the individual level with junior doctors and nurse practitioners becoming better, more well-rounded medical professionals. This will have flow on effects at a local population level to improve the standard of healthcare delivered at the hospital and beyond.
At the national level it is hoped that the benefits of having a Rural General Practitioner working at Norsup Hospital will contribute to steps towards creating a local rural and remote specialist training programme. This will benefit the significant proportion of the population of Vanuatu who are based in the provinces by improving the quality of healthcare delivered in these rural settings.
The Country – Vanuatu
Vanuatu is situated on a volcanic archipelago of 86 islands where traditional lifestyles exist side by side with modern tourist resorts. Around 110 indigenous languages are still spoken by an average of only 2,000 people per language, making it the country with the highest density of languages per capita in the world.
The majority of people living in Vanuatu are Melanesian. It is a predominantly Christian country. Vanuatu culture retains a strong diversity derived from regional variations and an adherence to custom (traditional practices and lifestyles).
Vanuatu's economy is primarily agriculture-based and engages approximately 80 per cent of the population. Copra, kava and beef make up more than 75 per cent of total agricultural exports, with agriculture accounting for around 20 per cent of GDP.
Me pēhea te tuku tono| How to apply:
Apply for this opportunity through our website.
For more information or if you have any questions on this assignment, email volunteer@vsa.org.nz.
To review the full assignment description please copy and paste the below link into your browser:
For a copy of the Assignment Description, please click the apply button which will direct you to the VSA website. You will be able to download a copy from the advertisement.
We are looking for a volunteer with:
- Full time 12-month Volunteering opportunity in Vanuatu.
- Provide mentorship and clinical supervision to junior doctors and nurses.
- Flights, accommodation and living allowance covered by VSA.
VSA covers flights, accommodation, insurance and some expenses. A living allowance is also provided.
Does volunteering with one of the largest and most experienced agency in international development interest you?