Physiotherapist Rehabilitation Services (BOU 42293)
Closing Date: 07 August 2026
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 Bougainville. Work alongside our local partner organisation to plan and create a brighter future for all.
We are looking for an experienced physiotherapist 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 Bougainville will be six 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.
Our Partner Organisation – Arawa District Hospital
Arawa District Hospital is a key public health facility serving the people of Arawa and surrounding communities in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The hospital is committed to delivering accessible, high-quality, and compassionate healthcare services while promoting the health and wellbeing of the communities it serves. Its dedicated team works collaboratively to provide essential medical services and improve health outcomes across the district.
Arawa District Hospital is currently undergoing a historic transformation from a district hospital into a Level 5 Specialist Referral Centre. This important development will significantly reduce the need for external referrals and expand access to specialised medical services, ensuring that people across Bougainville can receive advanced care closer to home.
As the hospital continues to grow and strengthen its service capacity, Arawa District Hospital is seeking committed and skilled healthcare professionals who are passionate about improving healthcare delivery and contributing to the future of specialist health services in Bougainville. Volunteering in this role offers a unique opportunity to contribute during a transformative period in the region’s health system while supporting improved health outcomes for local communities.
The Assignment – Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Services
Arawa District Hospital provides healthcare services to patients affected by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and stroke. Many patients experience physical debilitation, reduced mobility, and loss of independence as a result of these conditions. While physiotherapy and rehabilitation services are available, the hospital has identified a need to further strengthen staff capacity and service delivery in this area.
Currently, patient recovery outcomes remain limited, and staff would benefit from additional training and mentoring to enhance rehabilitation approaches and treatment practices.
To address this need, the hospital, in collaboration with the VSA Bougainville Programme, is seeking the support of an experienced physiotherapist who can work alongside local health workers to strengthen their skills and confidence in delivering more effective physiotherapy and rehabilitation services. The volunteer will provide practical training and mentoring while introducing evidence-based rehabilitation techniques that are appropriate and sustainable within the local healthcare context.
In addition, the volunteer will support the hospital to strengthen collaboration with organisations and partners that provide physiotherapy and rehabilitation services. This may include mapping relevant organisations, identifying opportunities for collaboration, improving coordination and communication mechanisms such as referral pathways and information sharing, and supporting community outreach initiatives related to physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
Through these efforts, the assignment will contribute to improving continuity of care, strengthening rehabilitation services, and expanding access to rehabilitation support for communities across Bougainville.
The Country - Bougainville
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, (Otonomos Region bilong Bogenvilin Tok Pisin), previously known as the North Solomons, it is the largest island in the Solomons Island archipelago, situated on the border between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
The population is roughly 300,000 (as of 2023), with most people living on the largest island, Bougainville Island. Buka Island is over a close stretch of water. Volunteer Service Abroad has offices in both Arawa (Bougainville Island) and Buka (Buka Island).
Although the region is just over 2,300 square kilometres, the terrain is rugged. This makes travel slow on roads and boats. It is a mountainous region covered in forest and sea, making agriculture and fishing vital to people's lives.
The people are resilient, and all are likely to have been personally affected by the civil conflict in the 1990s, but they wish to develop. There are substantial cultural aspects to be considered when living in ARoB, which will be covered in briefings before volunteers depart and upon arrival.
VSA has been active in Bougainville for over 25 years. We started in the year 1998 with a programme focusing on response and reconstruction post-crisis.
As part of the New Zealand government’s commitment to delivering a ‘peace dividend’, we set up our field office in Arawa (the conflict zone in the 90s).
VSA volunteers have since been deployed in Buka, Buin, Nissan, Selau-Suir, Tinputz, and Wakunai districts to name a few. Today, our volunteers work alongside the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) across various community development, education, and health departments, along with local and international NGOs in Bougainville. Together, we aim to build an overall sustainable Bougainville community.
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.
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 Bougainville. Work alongside our local partner organisation to plan and create a brighter future for all.
We are looking for an experienced physiotherapist 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 Bougainville will be six 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.
- Current professional registration, or eligibility for registration, as a physiotherapist
- At least three years of demonstrated clinical experience in physiotherapy and rehabilitation, particularly in the management of patients affected by stroke and non-communicable diseases
- Experience supporting or mentoring health workers to strengthen clinical practice
Our Partner Organisation – Arawa District Hospital
Arawa District Hospital is a key public health facility serving the people of Arawa and surrounding communities in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The hospital is committed to delivering accessible, high-quality, and compassionate healthcare services while promoting the health and wellbeing of the communities it serves. Its dedicated team works collaboratively to provide essential medical services and improve health outcomes across the district.
Arawa District Hospital is currently undergoing a historic transformation from a district hospital into a Level 5 Specialist Referral Centre. This important development will significantly reduce the need for external referrals and expand access to specialised medical services, ensuring that people across Bougainville can receive advanced care closer to home.
As the hospital continues to grow and strengthen its service capacity, Arawa District Hospital is seeking committed and skilled healthcare professionals who are passionate about improving healthcare delivery and contributing to the future of specialist health services in Bougainville. Volunteering in this role offers a unique opportunity to contribute during a transformative period in the region’s health system while supporting improved health outcomes for local communities.
The Assignment – Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Services
Arawa District Hospital provides healthcare services to patients affected by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and stroke. Many patients experience physical debilitation, reduced mobility, and loss of independence as a result of these conditions. While physiotherapy and rehabilitation services are available, the hospital has identified a need to further strengthen staff capacity and service delivery in this area.
Currently, patient recovery outcomes remain limited, and staff would benefit from additional training and mentoring to enhance rehabilitation approaches and treatment practices.
To address this need, the hospital, in collaboration with the VSA Bougainville Programme, is seeking the support of an experienced physiotherapist who can work alongside local health workers to strengthen their skills and confidence in delivering more effective physiotherapy and rehabilitation services. The volunteer will provide practical training and mentoring while introducing evidence-based rehabilitation techniques that are appropriate and sustainable within the local healthcare context.
In addition, the volunteer will support the hospital to strengthen collaboration with organisations and partners that provide physiotherapy and rehabilitation services. This may include mapping relevant organisations, identifying opportunities for collaboration, improving coordination and communication mechanisms such as referral pathways and information sharing, and supporting community outreach initiatives related to physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
Through these efforts, the assignment will contribute to improving continuity of care, strengthening rehabilitation services, and expanding access to rehabilitation support for communities across Bougainville.
The Country - Bougainville
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, (Otonomos Region bilong Bogenvilin Tok Pisin), previously known as the North Solomons, it is the largest island in the Solomons Island archipelago, situated on the border between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
The population is roughly 300,000 (as of 2023), with most people living on the largest island, Bougainville Island. Buka Island is over a close stretch of water. Volunteer Service Abroad has offices in both Arawa (Bougainville Island) and Buka (Buka Island).
Although the region is just over 2,300 square kilometres, the terrain is rugged. This makes travel slow on roads and boats. It is a mountainous region covered in forest and sea, making agriculture and fishing vital to people's lives.
The people are resilient, and all are likely to have been personally affected by the civil conflict in the 1990s, but they wish to develop. There are substantial cultural aspects to be considered when living in ARoB, which will be covered in briefings before volunteers depart and upon arrival.
VSA has been active in Bougainville for over 25 years. We started in the year 1998 with a programme focusing on response and reconstruction post-crisis.
As part of the New Zealand government’s commitment to delivering a ‘peace dividend’, we set up our field office in Arawa (the conflict zone in the 90s).
VSA volunteers have since been deployed in Buka, Buin, Nissan, Selau-Suir, Tinputz, and Wakunai districts to name a few. Today, our volunteers work alongside the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) across various community development, education, and health departments, along with local and international NGOs in Bougainville. Together, we aim to build an overall sustainable Bougainville community.
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.
We are looking for a volunteer with:
- On-the-job mentoring and practical skills transfers
- Improve the consistency of physiotherapy and rehabilitation care
- Flights, accommodation, insurance and allowances provided by VSA
Does volunteering with one of the largest and most experienced agency in international development interest you?