A group of newly recruited international midwives have spoken of their shared excitement about starting in their roles in Nottingham. The trio, who are fully qualified and have experience as midwives in Hong Kong, Iran and Ghana, were hired by Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) as part of its recent recruitment drive.
The NHS trust, which runs Queen's Medical Centre and City Hospital, said an additional 24 midwives will arrive by the end of the year, including 18 from South Africa. Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live during a training day at City Hospital, the three new recruits shared their personal reasons for taking the job, as well as sacrifices they have made along the way,
Malina Ramezan, who was a midwife in Iran for three years, said she had moved to Nottingham to "establish a new life". The 26-year-old said: "I came to establish a new life and learn from midwives here, to experience new cultures and make new friends."
Has your business been affected by the cost of living crisis? Tell us here
Ms Ramezan moved to the city four weeks ago and said her decision to leave home alone was a difficult one. "I love Iran, it was hard to leave my own country," she said. "I left my family, I came here all by myself and almost changed my mind.
"I was crying all the time before I left, even when I was eating food." The story of Ester D is similar, with the 42-year-old Ghanaian leaving her family and friends - including her husband and daughter - in order to work in Nottingham and provide for them.
"I've been working as a midwife for 16 years. I came to Nottingham for a masters degree and decided to stay," she said. "In Ghana we followed much of English practices, we use a lot of text books that are produced here. I want to see mothers come here and be I charge of keeping them happy and healthy.
"I will see I have achieved a goal here, to care for mothers and their families. In my country I couldn't get a masters and I wanted to follow my career path."
Karen Ma, 37, moved with husband and two children from Hong Kong last year, having worked as a midwife for seven years in her home country. "I came to learn new things and to make friends," she said.
"I grew up in a UK culture, in a western style and western food. I wanted to bring my children here to get better education. I want to explore more about the world, time to start a real journey and make new friends."
Sharon Wallis, NUH’s Director of Midwifery, said: "Having midwives from different cultures and backgrounds enriches our service and means that our staff reflect our population, which can only benefit us all. Many come with a vast amount of experience and a plethora of skills, which means we can all learn from each other and flourish together.
“Every year around 8,000 people give birth at our hospitals and in the community and as part of this international recruitment programme, the midwives will work across both our hospital sites, contributing to improving the quality of care within maternity for pregnant women and their families. I want to personally thank them for choosing to join us and bringing their skills with them. I look forward to seeing their NHS careers blossom at the Trust."
READ NEXT:
Mum's warning to parents as son's pains and rash turn out to be much more serious
Mystery as Nottinghamshire nursery announces temporary closure
Inspector warns students to secure accommodation after rise in burglaries
Met Office latest verdict amid predictions of snow in Nottinghamshire over 2 days
ITV Dancing On Ice star Christopher Dean gives update on health of Jayne Torvill
