Special Wheelers Corner 08 12th Feb 2019 regarding protest over MCDHB cutting of funding to Womens Health Collective.

Message from:  Wheelers Corner:

Peace Action Palmerston North...Its Our Future Manawatu...and heaps of caring people support the Women's Health Collective. Please share this as we all gear up to assist getting a clear and concise message to OUR local district health board and its strangely silent members...

As promised here is the time and location of a protest in regard to the cutting of funding to the Womens Health Collective:

Please record the time and place: MIDCENTRAL DHB GATE 2 HERETAUNGA ST. PN at 8.30 to 9.30am TUESDAY 26th Feb 2018...

Please put this in your dairy and share with your friends and next door neighbours   

General comments from last Wheelers Corner: 

Did you know that the CEO of MCH is possibly the highest paid public servant in the Manawatu...the tax payers are paying her almost five hundred thousand dollars per year...after reading the reference below you may feel just a little angry at the level of remuneration we pay a 'so called Manager' so we allow her and her government appointed board members can cut funding to a community group that actually assists those in need.  And I believe you have every right to be angry...
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/110396565/anger-and-dismay-about-threat-to-womens-health-service 

Here is a list of the Chairperson and board members of the MCDHB;
A profile statement of each member is provided and can be accessed by clicking on the members' name. 

Chairman
Dot McKinnon (appointed member)

Board Members
Diane Anderson (elected member)
Adrian Broad (elected member)*

Barbara Cameron (appointed member)
Ann Chapman (elected member)
Brendan Duffy (appointed member)*

Michael Feyen (elected member)*
Nadarajah (Mano) Manoharan  (elected member)
Karen Naylor (elected member)*

Oriana Paewai (appointed member)
Barbara Robson  (elected member)

Those with a * are serving or past councillors who seem to enjoy adding to their council income with MCHB income: if each of the people turned down their MCHB income...there would be no need to cut funding to the Women's health clinic...

So as a quick answer the CEO could agree to a 50.000 dollar salary cut, Duffy and Naylor could resign and not be replaced and Feyen and Broad could both resign...and not be replaced and no one would notice...but don't hold your breath...

So what does the Women's Health Collective actually do?

This from:

Jean Hera

Manager and Community Health Worker
Te Hā o Hine-ahu-one
Palmerston North Women’s Health Collective

  

“We provide health promotion but our practical services are what is key for our clients. We provide practical free and low cost women’s health support to many of our most vulnerable women, and to so many on low incomes. Our annual questionnaires with 250 women visiting the centre to use our services provides clear evidence of this. Our 2018 survey handed out randomly to those visiting the Centre for services included 41.8% Māori and 7.2% Pasifika. This is the highest ever Māori numbers and when combined with Pasifika reaching almost half of the women. We are well known through word of mouth in these communities and Māori and Pasifika women often want to go outside their own communities for sexual health and other personal health need.

The financial year 2017/2018 we had 5950 client contacts and numbers are generally increasing over the years. Of these client contacts, 4490 were visits. Our most popular service is free pregnancy tests (we are the largest community provider) which also involves information as required (We had 2459 contacts for pregnancy related help; 2231 pregnancy tests (we provide a 2^nd test as back up usually), 97 were for pregnancy/maternity information only and others received this at the time of their pregnancy test; 113 received abortion information/support. Contraception information/referral assistance is in high demand also (454 contacts) and with free condoms and lube available (330 asking us for these) with many others just helping themselves on a daily basis to the free supplies we make available in a number of help yourself locations). We had 233 contacts for sexual health information and referral, separate to our cervical screening clinics. We had 823 contacts involving referrals to other health providers for various need but mainly sexual and reproductive health related need. We are the only service apart from the NZ Prostitutes Collective fieldworker to supply the NZPC starter packs for sex workers. We provide the administrative support needed for the visiting nurse cervical smear clinic to provide 222 cervical smears with referrals as required. Our clients are more vulnerable and many have chaotic lives which often involves a lot of extra work to recall and support them to come.

Alongside of our MDHB contract we have provided access to many other important services including to a counselling service which is subsidised and can be free when this is needed - 288 sessions were provided, and a lower cost osteopath for women and children - 919 sessions. This lower cost registered osteopath is often referred to by midwives and GPs. We provide a wide range of women’s health information, menstrual care supplies, a library, mental health support, a safe place for LGBTQ+ including transgender support.

 

It appears to me that our contract was transferred to a cluster or section of the MDHB that we just do not fit in to in terms of what they are responsible for (except possibly the youth aspects – but we have not been a youth contract we have been a women’s contract which includes youth). There appears to be no mention of women specifically (except in the cluster heading) just maternity, lactation, and gynae. The community aspect appears to be linked to community midwifery and lactation services, child and youth services only. Yet it also says ‘the service is working toward an integrated system with more community providers being connected into the cluster over time. This will be reflected in all aspects of the report’. On further reflection on the clusters it appears we would fit better under the Primary Public Community Health Cluster which includes sexual health, spans generations and a primary, public and community health focus.”

If you'd like more infomation please contact:

Together we can change negative behaviour into community action:

Jean Hera

Manager and Community Health Worker
Te Hā o Hine-ahu-one
Palmerston North Women’s Health Collective
(06) 357 0314
53 Waldegrave Street
PO Box 4253 Palmerston North