Board stands firm on women’s health cut
Palmerston North’s Women’s Centre risks closure unless it finds $90,000 a year to make up for the Midcentral District Health Board cutting its key contract from July.
About 50 people launched an emotional protest against the axing of Te Ha¯ o Hine-ahu-one’s sexual and reproductive health services contract at the board’s meeting yesterday.
Despite their best efforts and entreaties from women’s health collective manager Jean Hera, GP Anna Skinner and Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith, the board refused to overturn the management decision.
Board members Karen Naylor, Barbara Robson, Michael Feyen and Barbara Cameron attempted to at least buy more time to consider the implications for the centre and for vulnerable women.
But deputy chairman Brendon Duffy was adamant the board should support the decision of staff who had been tasked with achieving efficiencies and value for money.
‘‘We say it is transitioning to better services.’’
Health board strategy, planning and performance general manager Craig Johnston said the decision was in line with a 2015 review of sexual and reproductive health services, which found gaps and duplication of services.
Since then the board had invested in local provision of pregnancy terminations, better
‘‘We did our best and will keep trying.’’ Women’s health collective manager Jean Hera
access to long-acting contraception, and embedding sexual and reproductive health as a natural and normal part of general practice health care.
But the 30-year-old collective and its supporters argued many poor and vulnerable women in the community did not have a doctor, could not afford one, and did not feel safe in large general practice settings.
Almost 6000 women a year used the collective’s services, which also hosted counselling, low-cost osteopath sessions and information.
Those services were at risk as the board contract covered the costs of three part-time staff, without whom the centre could not stay open or deliver its cervical cancer screening work.
Smith said the cut meant there were ‘‘women who simply won’t turn up to other services and will end up in ED’’.
Clinical executive for the board’s healthy women, children and youth services Jeff Brown said he recognised the value of the work the collective did in advocacy and helping women to navigate other health services.
Likewise, health professionals understood the damage issues like poor housing did to children’s health. But it was not the board’s responsibility to deal with those, he said.
After the meeting, Hera said she was heartened by the show of support, but disappointed with the outcome.
‘‘We did our best and will keep trying. But unless the board’s managers change their minds, we will have to look for money from somewhere else.’’