Peel's Nidjalla Waangan Mia's maternity program suffers after Federal Government funding cuts

The funding cut affects Aboriginal health services statewide.

In a statement released on Thursday morning, Nidjalla Waagan Mia said: “Unfortunately, we have been informed that the Aboriginal Maternity Group Practice Program (AMGPP) funding has been ceased statewide”.

“This means that three positions at Nidjalla have been lost, the grandmother, maternity health worker and midwife.”

The organisation said no one in the program would be disadvantaged and clients would continue to be supported with the nurse-led clinic and other health service providers.

Nidjalla Waangan Mia was established in 2010 as part of GP down south to help meet the needs of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Peel region.

Just last week it celebrated its fifth birthday, with Western Australian Health Minister Kim Hames among the attendees.

GP down south chief Amanda Poller said the organisation was only made aware of the disappointing cut a couple of weeks ago.

“All of our funding is now funded on an annual basis,” she said.

“It’s an ongoing frustration for a not-for-profit organisation and at this time every year it is stressful not knowing what the funding will be.

“It’s really difficult to manage but it’s the world we live in.

“The whole circumstance is beyond our control; it’s not because the program wasn’t doing anything for the community and it’s not a reflection of our services at all.”

Ms Poller said while there will no longer be a grandmother midwife program at Nidjalla Waangan Mia, there will be other maternity services available for Mandurah’s mothers-to-be.

In the mean time, Nidjalla Waangan Mia is in negotiations to try to reinstate the program, either with further government funding or different avenues.

“This program has been brilliant for Aboriginal families,” Ms Poller said.

“And some Aboriginal women in the community prefer to go through a grandmother midwife program.”