Having visited the maternity ward of the Vila Central Hospital before, walking through it again last week though was almost surreal. The nurses were in uniforms one was used to growing up in our island home, complete with the stern look which elicited a giggle rather than the childhood reaction of backing out the room.
The retired midwives from Fiji are doing their families and their nation proud as part of a response mission to Vanuatu post-Cyclone Pam. And observing them renewed a genuine appreciation of what they do and what most of us take for granted.
The midwives interacted with their ni-Vanuatu counterparts as if they had been working together for years. In between antenatal checks, the brisk walk to the theatre for a caesarean section or quiet scrutiny of the roster, the Fijians still had time for the occasional bursts of laughter.
Every morning as they march in, "Bula Bula Bula" rings out, a Fijian word which is both a greeting and literally translated means "life", with the infectious smile and almost boisterous greetings island folks are known for. It was heart-warming to watch the response from the ni-Vanuatu women either awaiting delivery or recovering.
Midwives do not merely support women in labour and birth, they have to provide health awareness and health education on sexual and reproductive health and rights, promote physiological birth and counsel individuals or couples on family planning without prejudice. They are there for maternal child health and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, apart from social, psychological and physiological aspects.
If responses to the question of "Would you encourage young nurses or nursing students to pursue midwifery?" is anything to go by, then you know that those who retire as midwives considered it a vocation, driven by genuine care for the women they guided to ensure safe delivery and a live birth.
"Millions!" Vanuatu Central Hospital maternity ward nurse-in-charge Janet Leitangi jests, when asked to estimate the number of babies she's delivered. She has been a midwife at Vanuatu's national referral hospital since 1980.
"Women come in with their families and they would thank me for looking after their now grown child. It's something that I feel good about, even someone would stop me on the road, 'Thank you for looking after my wife and my kid', it brings joy and happiness in my life."
Midwife Leitangi and her assistant Sam Haitong were on duty with another colleague on the night of the cyclone. They were the first batch to work 36 hours straight as debris prevented movements to and from the hospital. Since then, midwives at the Port Vila hospital have had to work 12-hour shifts until the end of March, while trying to rebuild their homes and regain some sense of normality.
It is mainly for this reason that the nine midwives from Fiji are being welcomed with such enthusiasm from their exhausted ni-Vanuatu counterparts - the latter are on leave this week for some serious rest and relaxation.
Unaisi Sikivou, who retired in March from the Nausori birthing unit (a township in Fiji), said she was very happy to be part of the group. The mission, which is initially for one month but may be extended if the need remains, is fully funded by the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA.
"They really need us at this time," Mrs Sikivou, who heads the group said. "I must thank the UNFPA, the Ministry of Health of Vanuatu and Fiji, for us being here to help the workers."
Midwives were one of the first requests from the Government of Vanuatu after Cyclone Pam devastated the island country with her Category 5 gusts. Immediate assistance of a couple of midwives was provided but it was obvious that long-term help was crucial.
A formal request from the Government of Vanuatu was then sent to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Pacific Sub-Regional Office (PSRO), which immediately began the facilitation of the midwives, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (Fiji).
"Midwifery is an area that the UNFPA invests in a lot as part of one of its core mandate area which is maternal health," UNFPA Pacific director and representative Dr Laurent Zessler said.
"We are encouraged when countries invest in midwifery because evidence shows that midwives who are better educated, equipped and regulated to international standards can provide 87 per cent of the essential care needed by women and their newborns.
"When we address this issue, we are already investing in a healthy start to life for all, and this will show across sectors at the national level because the country will have productive, good healthy people."
Speaking to midwives gathered in Suva on International Day of the Midwife (observed annually on May 5), UNFPA Pacific High-Level Champion and Speaker of the House of Representatives Dr Jiko Luveni said midwifery skills were the single most important cadre for preventing maternal, neonatal deaths and stillbirths.
"Women need to be empowered with education and skills so they can make the best decisions for themselves and their babies," Dr Luveni said. "We also need stronger health systems to ensure health care is accessible for all, especially those living in rural communities and more than anything, we need greater political will and commitment to ensure that the health of mothers and children is a top priority."
While maternal deaths have dropped by nearly 50 per cent, down from an estimated 523,000 in 1990 to some 289,000 at the latest count, nearly 800 women continue to die daily from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, the majority of which are preventable.
As retired midwives make Fiji proud in Vanuatu, it is perhaps a good time to reflect on how we can better conditions for all midwives, across the region, for they are crucial for our survival and healthy starts of future generations.
