Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a cornerstone of our healthcare system is how we look after pregnancy and childbirth. The government's program Right from the Start focuses on measures that support a healthy start to life and positive outcomes for mothers and babies. One of the main action areas of that program is the expansion of midwifery services. However, action on this matter has seemingly slowed down significantly. Women whose prenatal care is led by a midwife tend to have few complications in pregnancy and childbirth and almost equally important, they are able to stay closer to home during this significant time.
According to the 2011 census, there were 690 births in the Northwest Territories that year. Over half these births were to families outside the capital, but the majority of these mothers had to travel, at significant cost to government, to larger centres to give birth, leaving fathers, siblings, grandparents and other critical community supports. The social and medical benefits of midwifery are well established, but what is perhaps less well known is the fact that, where midwifery services are established, the cost to the health system actually goes down. Recent studies done in Alberta identify that a course of care led by a midwife can cost up to $1,200 less than the same care provided by a doctor. Reducing the cost of the quality of health care is surely an idea that the government should get behind.
At this time, I would also like to recognize the considerable efforts of the NWT Citizens for Midwifery. They are an advocacy group consisting of women and men who are mobilizing support for a territorial midwifery program that includes the capital city. I want to thank them for continuing to show their support for the expansion of midwifery in the North. It was great to see many folks had taken part in the march from the post office to the Ledge over the lunch hour today in support of midwifery. At the appropriate time, I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services in this regard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I too had the pleasure of greeting some of the midwifery representatives over the noon hour. It was early in the last Assembly when after much advocacy, work began on establishing a strong regional and capital city midwifery program. There were demonstrations, petitions, letter writing, and other campaigns. A commitment was made to expand the Fort Smith program to Hay River, the Beaufort-Delta, Behchoko, and Yellowknife. A start was made and we have since seen progress in Hay River and Fort Smith. In July 2015, the Minister said that the next goal was to move forward with the territorial model based out of Yellowknife in 2015-16 so that the full rollout could be done in 2016-17. The Minister stated in July 2015 that he was still committed to introducing midwifery services based in Yellowknife, and would expand the program into the regions starting with the Deh Cho region and Behchoko. The Beaufort-Delta has since reconsidered this approach, I am told, but that still leaves Yellowknife, the Deh Cho, and Behchoko.
In Yellowknife, I am informed that we now have a midwife coordinator position, but the coordinator has no midwives to coordinate. Progress to date has been poor. Delivery on commitments that the advocates fought so hard for is still lacking. I would like to point out that, quite apart from establishing a model for obstetrical care preferred and asked for by many mothers and families, this just makes plain fiscal sense, as my colleague just mentioned. The government laments the sorry state of its finances, yet we still have a delivery program for birthing that is not as cost-effective as it might be. Once rolled out regionally, this approach offers major savings in patient transportation and accommodation costs, and the establishment of midwifery services rejuvenates the cultural traditions of community birthing by expert mothers and matriarchs. Midwifery advocates who fought so hard for these commitments by government are understandably disappointed by the failure to deliver on promises, as we saw outside the Assembly earlier today. Mothers-to-be across the Northwest Territories want to have their babies with the assistance of well-trained midwives. Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mothers-to-be across the Northwest Territories want to have their babies with the assistance of well-trained midwives who are supported by a comprehensive, stable, and well-funded midwifery program in all of the regional centres across the Northwest Territories. For the sake of our young families, I hope the Minister will confirm real progress and certainty on moving forward with midwifery in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
