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Wanaka midwife steps down as colleagues across the country say they're overworked and underpaid

February 16, 2018

The College of Midwives says workers are underpaid and overworked.

There is a national issue with community midwives across the country frustrated with being overworked and underpaid.

Concern and fear was sparked in Wanaka after one of the town's midwives has had to step down because of the job's financial strain, leaving the town with only one midwife.

Morgan Weathington has been a midwife in Wanaka for three years but it now stepping down as she cannot afford to do the job.

"That decision was incredibly painful to stop, because I love my job I love it, and the people that I'm saying I'm not going to provide a service for are my neighbours," says Ms Weathington.

Midwives are paid through a fixed fee per patient by the Ministry of Health that midwives say hasn't been properly evaluated in years.

"It's a large leap from what we're being paid now to what we should be paid."

Associate Health Minister Julie-Anne Genter says she appreciates how hard midwives work but it will take time to improve the health system.

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