Mr. Speaker, I have a return to Written Question 19-16(5) asked by Mr. Bromley on February 10, 2011, to the Honourable Sandy Lee, Minister of Health and Social Services, regarding obstetrical and midwifery care.
While the average length of out-of-community stay varies, most women will spend between four and five weeks away from home if they travel to Yellowknife or Inuvik to deliver their baby. The majority of pre and post-natal care is provided by their local health care provider. Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table Number of Hospital Discharges of New Mothers In and Outside of the NWT.
The Department of Health and Social Services cannot accurately estimate the average cost of care and travel for mothers who deliver at home under the care of a midwife versus those that travel to Inuvik or Yellowknife for delivery in a hospital.
Fort Smith is the only community offering home births. Very few women choose the home birth option. Of the 42 births in 2009-2010 there was only one home delivery and none so far for 2010-2011.
While midwives in Fort Smith provide all pre and post-natal care to all pregnant women, they only deliver about 50 percent of the babies. The other approximately 50 percent choose to travel to Yellowknife or another health facility out of territory to deliver and as a result would still incur travel costs.
