MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC--(Marketwired - July 8, 2013) - The Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) is shocked to learn of the letter received by the Midwifery Council of New Brunswick stating that the provincial government is suspending all funding to implement midwifery in the province, including funding to the Midwifery Council.
"This is an enormous set back for women and families in New Brunswick", says Ms Joanna Nemrava, President of CAM. "Our national organization receives many requests from women in New Brunswick who want access to midwifery services. Nearly every other Canadian province and territory has implemented health care legislation that includes midwives as an integral part of the primary health care teams providing essential maternity services to women and families. New Brunswick is one of the last provinces still lagging behind."
The Midwifery Act was proclaimed by the New Brunswick government in 2010. The Midwifery Council, a multi-disciplinary team of health care professionals, has been working to establish standards of practice and protocols to ensure that women and families in New Brunswick have access to high quality midwifery services just like in all Canadian jurisdictions where midwifery is regulated. Suspension of the Midwifery Council means that midwifery services will not be accessible to the province's citizens in the near future as anticipated.
"Midwives provide safe and cost-effective care and improve outcomes for women and their newborns", concludes Ms Nemrava. "Why wouldn't mothers and babies in New Brunswick have the same access to quality health care services as other Canadians? Why would a provincial government choose against prioritizing the health of women and families?"
Most recently, all three (3) official parties of the federal government have publicly recognized the value of midwifery as an essential part of the Canadian health care system(1)(2)(3). CAM urges the provincial government to reconsider its decision to stop the work that has already begun to implement midwifery services in the province of New Brunswick.
About Midwifery in Canada
There are just over 1100 registered midwives in Canada. The Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) is the national organization representing midwives and the profession of midwifery in Canada. The only jurisdictions where regulated midwifery services are not offered are New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince-Edward-Island and the Yukon.
For more information about CAM, visit our website at www.canadianmidwives.org.
(1) http://openparliament.ca/debates/2013/5/3/colin-carrie-2/only/
(2) http://www.hedyfry.com/in-the-house/dr-hedy-fry-marks-international-day-midwife
(3) http://peggynash.ndp.ca/post/peggy-recognizes-the-international-day-of-the-midwife-in-the-house
Contact Information:
Executive Director
Canadian Association of Midwives
director@canadianmidwives.org
514-807-3668