Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On October 24, 2008, I made a statement and asked some questions in this House on the value and importance of midwifery services in the Northwest Territories. Since then, no additional support has been made available to these services in the Northwest Territories.
In 2008 there were three midwives practicing in the Northwest Territories: two in Fort Smith and one in Yellowknife, Ndilo and Dettah. Unfortunately, as predicted back in 2008, the workload for a sole midwife in Yellowknife was very exhausting. This has resulted in the incumbent having to go on an extended leave, which will hopefully allow her to revitalize and build up some reserves so she can return to this highly demanding position. Hopefully she will be able to and choose to return.
The Midwifery Profession Act proclaimed in 2005 provides for licensing, registration and regulation of registered midwives in the Northwest Territories. Midwives are health care professionals who provide low-risk women with the necessary support, care and advice during pregnancy, labour, delivery and after birth. Their care includes preventative measures, detection of complications in mother and child and accessing further medical assistance if there is a need.
The midwife has an important role as a health counsellor and educator, not only for the mother but also for her family and her community. Midwives may practice in any settings, such as in homes, clinics or hospitals. Women in midwives’ care do not normally see a physician unless complications arise. That reduces the workload on GPs currently performing routine examinations on expectant mothers. Obstetricians and gynecologists are open to partnerships with midwifes to make sure that mother and child receive quality care.
Mr. Speaker, midwifery is publicly funded in five jurisdictions, including the Northwest Territories. The province of Alberta has recently allowed insurance coverage to midwifery services. In Holland, England and New Zealand, midwives manage 70 percent or more of all births, compared to only 3 percent in Canada. There is a growing popularity for midwives here in the Northwest Territories and an increasing number of expectant mothers are being turned away due to limited funding for midwifery programs. We need to take a proactive approach and focus on long-term results.
I believe that midwives can, and do, provide a valuable service which will save the system money in the long run and increase positive results for pre- and postnatal mothers and families in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Later today I will be tabling the written portion of the petition calling for expansion of the Midwifery Program in Yellowknife and the extension of this programming throughout the Territories. Taken together with the Assembly’s first ever on-line e-petition, of 304 signatures, a total of 377 persons -- 161 from Yellowknife and 176 from outside the capital -- are calling on the government for increased support to midwifery.
We recognize midwifery as a regulated profession through the creation of legislation in 2005. This action only formalized the ancestral tradition of home-assisted birth that has been the basis of child delivery as long as there have been children. Midwives have been honoured community caregivers in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal society. Demand for this service is in resurgence.
In the NWT Hospital Services 2006 Report, childbirth and pregnancy were reported as the top reasons for hospitalizations, at an estimated cost of $4.4 million per year. The vast majority of hospitalizations were for labour, delivery and aftercare of mothers. Add to this the huge costs of travel, medical, ground transportation and complicated staff services.
As the letter of support for the petition from the NWT and Nunavut Public Health Association says, the GNWT now needs to prove its commitment to the continuation of midwifery services by providing sufficient resources. I fully support the actions called for by this petition. Here’s another case where, based upon the community health and nursing centre delivery model, we have an opportunity to pursue improved care, respond to community wishes and needs, with a prospect of enormous cost savings.
I haven’t seen any departmental analysis of the case for midwifery. This is bad business. It is basic practice when offered the prospect of an improved customer service model that a cost-benefit analysis is performed to nail down the facts. That’s an important piece of staff business we could start today without the devotion of any new resources.
I will also be tabling a written question today, asking for basic information on the cost and volume of hospital and midwifery birthing. I urge the Minister to use this question to kick-start a thorough review of this opportunity. The faster we get this information, the faster we can stop paying operating costs and start putting money into good public health care jobs in the communities. Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister questions on how soon she can start. Mahsi.
