Narain is currently on maternity leave herself, but she said the stories coming out of Hawke’s Bay were so moving that she felt compelled to come and assist.
“I knew my family was safe so I signed up for two weeks of locum work,” Narain said.
She was struck by what she saw as she flew into Hawke’s Bay.
“It looked like a tiger had come along and scratched down all the hills. It was incredibly sad to see,” she said.
“I just couldn’t imagine if it had happened to us. I thought of the midwives who would be doing their best to look after women in their care while they had so much going on in their own lives.”
She said they supported the maternity team so they could leave early if they had to navigate closed bridges or congestion on the roads.
“It was nice knowing that we could take a little stress off an already stressed workforce.”
Jenkins met a group from the College of Midwives while transferring flights in Christchurch, who provided her with an extra suitcase to carry sustenance for the Hawke’s Bay workforce.
“I had packed some treats in my own suitcase and then with the additional suitcase I think I took up 52kg of cookies and chocolate for staff,” Jenkins said.
“We were there to do a job and were able to give the local midwives a much-needed break.”
Catherine Overfield, acting director of midwifery in Hawke’s Bay said the team couldn’t thank the locums and their Te Whatu Ora teams that released them enough.
“The tautoko (support) and aroha from our national colleagues was amazing and helped us continue to provide a high level of care for our māmā and pēpi in a very stressful situation,” Overfield said.
Overfield said that a safe space was set up within Napier Health Centre during the period immediately post Cyclone Gabrielle, where hapū (pregnant) māma could attend for advice, assessment and reassurance, or give birth in a safe and warm place with a midwife in attendance.
She said the space was staffed by both self-employed and hospital midwives, who were joined by an obstetric registrar, and a paediatrician was also on site if required.
Two women who were past their due date were transferred from Napier to Hastings for a planned Caesarean section in the aftermath of the cyclone.
“The professionalism and collegiality of our midwives during a time of stress and uncertainty for so many has ensured that hapū māmā continued to have 24/7 access to midwifery care and advice,” Overfield said.
She said that support from Tairāwhiti meant Wairoa women could choose to give birth in Gisborne while the road to Hastings was closed.
“Other Wairoa whānau requiring secondary maternity services fly to Hastings with a support person (as they would in normal circumstances), returning home with their new pēpi by air.”
The service at Napier Health Centre was stood down once travel and telephone contact resumed between Napier and Hastings.
The Napier Maternity Resource Centre on Kennedy Rd continues to be available as a non-urgent drop-in centre for women.
