04/05/2025

ON SUNDAY MAY 4, 2025 II theSunday Special

N OT all heroes wear capes. Some wear scrubs, uniforms, or faded work boots. They show up day after day, qui etly, steadfastly to keep the world turning. They deliver our parcels, care for our children, drive our buses, stock our shelves and heal our wounds.

Quiet hands that keep the world moving

BY HANNEF ESQUANDER

Every birth I witness reminds me of how powerful and precious life is. As a nurse midwife, I strive for excellence, not for praise, but because every mother and baby deserves the best. This Labour Day, I honour all workers who give their best, day in and day out. Your dedication moves the world forward.”

Winney, nurse midwife

healthcare, we know everything about DOO WKH GL̆ HUHQW LOOQHVVHV DQG WUHDWPHQWV at the hospital. I get asked many health related questions, especially by my older relatives and friends. In reality, nurses who have completed their training are assigned to their respective units and specialities, such as orthopaedics, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology,” explains Winney, who is a nurse midwife with almost 30 years of service under the Ministry of Health.

A few years after her placement at a lo cal government hospital, Winney decided to take her career to the next level by sign ing up for a post-basic midwifery course that enabled her to further her career goals of helping others and contributing to the well-being of the people of this nation. As a nurse midwife, Winney has welcomed the birth of hundreds of babies, an achieve ment she can genuinely be proud of. “Even to this day, the thought of wel coming new life into the world and being

part of that journey remains incredibly special. As nurse-midwives, we attend normal childbirths. But of course, things don’t always go as planned. Emergencies like postpartum bleeding and eclampsia can quickly become life-threatening if not managed promptly. When a life is lost, it adds an emotional weight to this SURIHVVLRQ ,W GRHV D̆ HFW PH EXW DW WKH end of the day, we have done everything we could,” explains Winney, a mother of four and recently, a grandmother.