Dear members
The College is deeply saddened, shocked and distressed by the targeted terrorist attacks on two Christchurch Mosques last Friday 15th March. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims and to the Muslim communities in Christchurch and throughout New Zealand. As Aotearoa New Zealand tries to process this tragedy we join in expressing thanks to all the first responders, police, ambulance, hospital and after-hours doctors and nurses who were directly involved in this devastating and life-changing event. The national office is working closely with the Canterbury region of the College and the DHB to ensure that we are offering all of the support we can to any Canterbury midwives who have been affected by the events.
We are mindful of the Muslim midwives working with women in Muslim communities, and all the midwives who continue to work with pregnant and birthing Muslim women throughout the country under these harrowing circumstances. The College is here to offer support to any midwives who have been directly affected and can offer some specific support to midwife members who are working as LMCs, as these midwives don’t have access to the same supports as employed midwives.
We would like to offer any Muslim LMC midwives access to funded emergency locum cover, to be taken now or at a later stage when most useful for the midwife. We are also offering access to funded EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) counselling services too. This offer of access to locum cover and EAP is also extended to any LMC midwife who has been personally affected by the events last Friday.
In order to access locum cover, midwives will need to make contact with the MMPO locum service (this is available to MMPO AND non MMPO members) https://www.mmpo.org.nz/resources/locum-services/ or phoning 0800 MIDWIFE
In order to access EAP, the midwife will need to contact the national office and speak to one of the Midwifery Advisors, as our contract with EAP is a referral only contract and we need to know the details of the midwives seeking support from EAP so we can refer them.
We understand that EAP services in Canterbury may be experiencing heavy demand at present, but still encourage midwives to make contact and seek a referral regardless.
Anyone is also welcome to call the national mental health help line by phoning 1737. Further information is also available on the 1737 website www.1737.org.nz
Ngā mihi
Alison Eddy
Chief Executive