Many witnesses spoke of the need for midwives in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Geoff Clarke, a nurse, and recently accredited midwife, spoke to committee about the prohibitive costs of seeking midwifery accreditation in Canada.
Mr. Clarke practiced midwifery for a number of years in his native Australia, but only recently became certified in Canada, after attending courses and writing exams in Manitoba.
He informed committee that the cost for a foreign midwife to gain accreditation in Canada averages between $12,000 and $15,000. The Stanton Territorial Health Board covered his costs, as it is currently doing for one other foreign midwife, but without this financial assistance, he and his colleague would not likely have taken the initiative to become certified in Canada.
Mr. Clarke spoke of Manitoba's difficulty filling and maintaining their 39 midwife positions, and warned that the Northwest Territories may face similar difficulties if it fails to adopt a proactive approach in recruiting and assisting foreign and domestic midwives.
The Midwives' Association of the NWT and Nunavut also stated they "would like to see the development of midwifery education programs in the future."
Of course, this requires that money be spent. This committee urges the government to make funds available so the required number of midwife positions may be filled.
The Minister informed committee of the department's current initiative to recruit six midwives from Australia, in order to help fill the 14 positions that are anticipated across the territory. The standing committee wishes the department success in this endeavor.