A rally planned for Fort McMurray Monday will support the growing need for midwives.
Earlier this year, Alberta Health Services and the Alberta Association of Midwives signed a memorandum of understanding for a 3 year compensation agreement.
Organizer Lucie Lapierre say it’s inadequate as many midwives are unable to get full-time work.
“So if the government was to improve the funding, this would mean that midwives could actually move to Fort McMurray and open their own practices, and that would give families birth options.”
She says families have to travel to other cities to give birth with a Registered Midwife.
She says our doctors are strained and birth rates are increasing here rapidly.
“Right now there are no options in Fort McMurray,” she continues, “the one option you have is the hospital, and as good as they are and as hard working as they are, they are busy.”
She says, “this is the great change this would bring to Wood Buffalo is give those options that Mom’s don’t have.”
The ‘Where’s My Midwife?’ rally will start at the hospital at 10:45AM and then walk down Franklin Avenue to the municipal building by 1PM.
Mayor Melissa Blake will be at the rally to give opening remarks while Councillor Christine Burton will do the closing speech.
It’s a province-wide event, and other groups will gather in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge.
Find more info about the rally on Facebook by CLICKING HERE
There’s also a petition HERE looking for the Alberta government to provide ongoing and adequate funding for Alberta’s growing number of midwives.
In the petition’s letter to Health Minister Fred Horne, “providing excellent funding for midwives is the best way to ensure that every woman who would like a midwife can access this safe, expert & cost-effective option for maternity care.”
The petition says a wait list for midwives still exist – the Alberta Association of Midwives counts 250 women on it.
August 30th, 2013
