Local Murwillumbah midwife, Carolyn Hastie, is one of seven Australians volunteering their expertise in Papua New Guinea (PNG) from April 7 till April 11.
Organised by Rotary International, Carolyn will work with local midwives to help improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Angela Stavrogiannopoulos from Rotary International, says, ‘PNG has one of the highest [rates of] preventable maternal and neonatal deaths in the world, and The Rotary Club of Morialta (South Australia) and Port Moresby (PNG) in partnership with PNG Midwifery Society and the Australian College of Midwives have developed a Buddy Leadership program between PNG and Australian midwives to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes’.
The focus of the Port Moresby General Hospital will be on leadership and advocacy, says Angela. ‘During this time, Carolyn and the midwives are allocated a buddy, who they work with through varied means of communication over a 12-month period’.
‘Carolyn is PhD qualified and has a national and international reputation as a role model and leader in midwifery education and practice. She had the pleasure and privilege of being one of the first AusAID midwifery education facilitators in PNG in 2011, and still has connections with midwives in Port Moresby’.
To find out more about what Rotary do, visit www.rotary.org/en.
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