Retiring from a profession that birthed her nurturing and caring
ONE of Groote Schuur Hospital’s most experienced midwives has delivered thousands of babies and cried her fair share of tears as some were lost, but she will remember her tenure fondly in setting her sights on retirement.
Sister Colleen Pockpas, a midwife at Groote Schuur Hospital for 38 years, is looking forward to retiring next month. As #YearOfTheMidwife was commemorated earlier this week, Pockpas said she would continue community work after her retirement.
This year’s International Day of the Midwife was commemorated under the theme: “Celebrate. Demonstrate. Mobilise. Unite.”
It aimed to demonstrate the need for women from all backgrounds and professions to raise awareness about the status of midwives and the essential care they provide to mothers and their newborns.
Pockpas said she had always had a soft spot for babies, helping to bring them into the world and ensure that both the mothers and their newborns received essential care.
“I’ve been in so many deliveries and high-risk cases, but there’s not one that I can say has stood out. It’s not just about birth, but also death – as some babies die and some moms die. It’s never a good moment to lose a baby or a mother because, as a human being, you also get emotionally involved.”
She said the journey of being a midwife has made her strong, and requires a lot of love and passion.
According to her, teaching and making a difference are what makes working at the hospital special.
“Being a midwife has not really changed. There is new technology to assist the midwife but – in matters of the heart – nothing has changed. You need hard work, care and love to do the job for mothers and children. In the early days, there was also more community work for the midwife – to go into the community and assist the patients. The number of births has also escalated over the years,” says Pockpas.
During the coronavirus pandemic she has been working in the antenatal clinic and the area which screens every patient that comes into the building.
“You must want to be a nurse because you love working with people. You will be making a difference in society because almost everyone will end up in a hospital at some point in their lives. Be ready to work, it’s hard work but it’s a joy to make a difference.”
According to the UN sexual and reproductive health agency East and Southern Africa Regional Office (UNFPA Esaro), the UN advocated strengthening midwifery globally.
“WHO and UNFPA offer midwifery education, training, and policy guidance, to scale-up the number of skilled midwives, especially in low-income countries and nations with the highest rates of maternal mortality,” the UN said in a statement.
It said the UNFPA Esaro had helped in the training of more than 115 000 midwives, and provided books and other training materials to over 700 midwifery schools.
“In addition, the focus of the 2019 Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health 2016-2030 is midwifery. The WHO and UNFPA Esaro, along with the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef), and the International Confederation of Midwives, will issue a report and action plan to strengthen quality midwifery education. It will be presented to the 194 member states of the WHO this month.”