Dear Members,
As we come to the close of 2020 and I write this address, my initial thought is ‘who would have guessed that this time last year, we would be facing a global pandemic?’
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we conduct ourselves in our professional and personal lives and Melbournians especially, are acutely aware of this after emerging from some of the toughest lockdown restrictions globally – nearly 4 months of stage 4 restrictions. The streets of Melbourne are a testament to the destructive impact this pandemic has had on local businesses and many ponder if our beautiful city ever be the same. Will the world ever be the same?
COVID-19 has affected every facet of work and the personal life and has imposed many challenges upon the health sector globally. From the time the WHO proclaimed this a global pandemic, health systems have had to rapidly adapt to address the risk of exposing health care workers to the virus whilst providing the highest levels of care possible, to those in need. To date, much of the research has looked at healthcare workers referring to them either as physicians or nurses, providing minimal or no sex disaggregated data for physicians.
The percentage of women physicians has steadily increased in many countries ranging from 53% in some European nations 28% in the African region and in most nations, the workplace challenges women doctors face, are unique. Women doctors are often the carers of children and elderly parents outside of the workplace, so that absence from home can potentially increase the burden on the family unit if they become ill and increase the strain on the health system and work colleagues if they become ill themselves. For these reasons, I have embarked a research project which aims to fill this gap in the research during COVID-19, with the support of MWIA and in my role as co-Chair of the MWIA Scientific and Research Subcommittee. Please take the time to contribute to the survey, “Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) member survey of COVID-19 experiences as healthcare providers”.
The direct link to the survey is provided here.
For further background information, visit the MWIA web links.
Invitation to participate in MWIA member survey of COVID-19 Experiences
Supporting healthcare workers during a pandemic is a priority for the health of any nation. Understanding how to improve the workplace and the safety for frontline women doctors, will benefit the public directly.
Finally, I would like to thank you for all the work that you do, the contributions to the AFMW community you have made and for making the effort to support the health of all Australians. Please take time for self care over this festive period and remember to make the time to have your own health checks with your GP and I look forward to seeing you all in 2021.
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor. Magda is member of The Australian Health Team contributing monthly articles.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
