Mahsi. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to talk on the provision of midwife services in the NWT. There are currently only three midwives working for Health and Social Services in the Northwest Territories — one in Yellowknife and two in Fort Smith — with only one of the midwife positions in Fort Smith receiving core funding. The other midwife there currently has only short-term funding.
Although there are other registered midwives interested, there is no funding for other positions here in Yellowknife, where there is increasing demand. An expert in the field estimates there is probably already enough demand for an additional three or even four midwives in Yellowknife alone.
I have several constituents who rely on a midwife in helping with the births of their children, but many other constituents are lamenting the lack of service available. The midwife here is unable to take
additional clients due to her limited capacity as the sole midwife in town and a sole program staff/manager/advocate in the territory.
Currently there are no midwife training programs in the NWT, and although there is some interest in Fort Smith to collaborate with programs down south, there is no funding. Even if there was a program to train midwives, there is, at the moment, not enough money and no vacant positions for the graduates. Having the capacity to train midwives here would bring long-term sustainability and promote their retention in the North. Funding is required for this support.
Mr.
Speaker, following the Territorial Midwifery
Profession Act of 2003, it is unfortunate we are not able to fully implement a midwife program, even in the capital. Encouraging the training of local women to become midwives and to practise to the extent possible in their home communities would be, in the long term, an effective use of resources. Our highly appreciated medical doctors are both busy and expensive, and it only makes common sense to invest in strategies that can relieve demand for doctors while lowering the costs of birthing.
Mr. Speaker, this service is regarded as both a quality-of-life factor and an effective use of government dollars. I encourage our Department of Health and Social Services to consider this and make midwife services widely available to our communities. Mahsi.