Employees, patients and visitors at Werribee Mercy Hospital and Mercy Hospital for Women were invited to join our NAIDOC Week (7-14 July) celebrations this week.
The event at Werribee Mercy Hospital, hosted by Ms Erin Wilson, Program Director Ambulatory, Community & Allied Health Services, began with a heartfelt Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony performed by Aunty Di Kerr and her daughter Melissa Kerr. Aunty Di is a respected Elder and valued friend to Mercy Health and a great supporter of many of our events.
At Mercy Hospital for Women the event was opened with a formal address by Ms Clare Grieveson, Interim Chief Executive Health Services who shared some of Mercy Health’s achievements in working towards closing the health gap between Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Australians.
Both hospitals enjoyed delicious catering from Mabu Mabu, a Torres Strait Islander catering company as well as a Wayapa session giving staff, patients and visitors the opportunity to slow down and reconnect with the earth. Wayapa is a wellbeing practice based on ancient Indigenous wisdom and it was great to see so many people stand up and give it a go.
The theme for this year’s NAIDOC Week is ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth.’ promoting three key elements to the reforms set out in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. For more than 65,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have contributed their expertise, practices and innovations to this country and their words were the first words spoken on this continent. It is now our turn to listen and to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples a voice. Together we can build a shared future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Peoples are thriving and their long histories, cultures and languages are respected and embraced as part of our shared heritage.
Mercy Health engaged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suppliers for our NAIDOC Week events. For more information, please visit their websites below:
Mercy Health NAIDOC Week decorating competition
Huge congratulations to the winner of this year’s Mercy Health NAIDOC Week decorating competition – Mercy Place Parkville. Not only did they have some wonderful decorations around the home, they organised daily events celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture including arts and crafts and even a NAIDOC Week themed communion. Mercy Place Parkville will receive a Scicluna’s Real Food Merchants hamper kindly donated by Mercy Health Foundation. A special acknowledgement goes to Lida Ching, Lifestyle Coordinator at Mercy Place Parkville for her enthusiasm and efforts in coordinating these activities. Thank you to everyone who participated in this years’ competition.