Save our Maternity Services from crisis
A petition calling for the Government to urgently address the maternity crisis in Aotearoa was delivered to MPs in Wellington on July 8th by our own Lower Hutt Parents Centre.
Guest speakers including Emily Writes, and the President of Lower Hutt Parents Centre Meg Waghorn shared their thoughts on the importance of well-resourced maternity services in Aotearoa.
The petition was accepted by Dr Liz Craig, Labour MP and Chair of the Health Select Committee.
We believe our maternity sector is in crisis, with major under-staffing and under-resourcing putting lives at risk. A lack of capacity across the country is leaving maternity units unable to care for any more patients and delaying necessary medical care to people in need.
Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death in Aotearoa but our maternal mental health teams are stretched beyond their limits. Gaps across the sector are disproportionately affecting Māori women and babies, who experience ongoing systemic inequality and a lack of access to healthcare. Our maternity sector is disintegrating under strain, and our midwives, doctors and nurses are burning out from over work.
This is a crisis in the true sense of the word, and we join with over 8,000 others who signed the petition in calling the government to act with urgency to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all birthing parents and babies in Aotearoa.
You can keep updated on the petition here: https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/save-our-maternity-sector-from-crisis