Cartwright Inquiry Lessons Forgotten
Professional Observation from a Midwife
Testimony by Paula M
To whom it may concern
As a health practioner (midwife) who works within the model of “informed consent” and follows the important changes brought about with the Cartwright Inquiry and the very importance around choice, I feel the lessons learnt at that time were forgotten.
Mandates removed “choice” and the lack of information removed informed consent.
New Zealanders were forced into a research study without all the usual quality measures that “research is supposed to have”.
Yes we understood that for our generation this was a new threat however we only had 2 choices, loose livelihoods, or have a trial drug. This became emotional selection and ethically and morally aligns it with the Cartwright enquiry.
I was forced to have a drug that I didn’t want, would have lost my income and left me isolated from my partner who lived across the border 40 mins away. The very same border that I crossed to look after the so call vulnerable mothers who had the choice whether they had the vaccine.
I then worked in my second job as a childcare teacher where I cared for the children who came from the households of the essential workers where the mandates for ongoing vaccination ended sooner than with me as a midwife.
My health has never recovered, my mental health has been affected and I have lost faith in a health system that I proudly entered because of the work of Judge Judy Cartwright.
I hope New Zealand learns from this because the children of our children won’t know of the pioneers before us that stood up and said we all have the right to choose.
Paula M
