Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, midwives play a crucial role in obstetrics, or OBS, which is why during last winter's sitting regular MLAs requested that Cabinet add $600,000 to the main estimates to expand the midwifery program in the NWT. As a result, the Department of Health and Social Services created four roles in Yellowknife to support OBS nurses. As of ten days ago, only two of the four positions located in Yellowknife had even been posted whereas Hay River and Fort Smith filled their positions this summer as the funding has been available since June.
On Monday, Members were informed that births would no longer take place at Stanton Hospital and would now be diverted to various locations in Alberta - something we heard the Minister say she only became aware of last Friday.
A midwife is a healthcare professional who cares for mothers and newborns during childbirth. A midwife focuses on the care of women birthing and conditions that need further evaluation. Midwives have the training to recognize variations of standard labor and understand how to deal with deviations that need a referral to a doctor.
Local birthing groups, such as the Northern Birthwork Collective, who presented to the Social Development Committee earlier this year, have already started a fundraiser for those affected by the obstetrics closure. Funds will help with house and pet sitting, with money provided for food as well as to find support workers, such as doulas, in Edmonton.
Suddenly, expectant parents are facing unknown and unanticipated costs at a time when they're likely already taking reduced pay to expand their family in the first place. They will fall behind because government support does not cover these emergency costs.
And Mr. Speaker, this doesn't even touch on the lack of personal supports that suddenly expectant parents find themselves without as they leave their community, something that our small community members know the heartbreak of all too well.
While 120 NWT and Nunavut individuals and families are being evacuated south because of the obstetrics closure, rumors are circulating that further closures at Stanton are imminent. This only puts Northern residents at further risk of medical evacuation during a global pandemic, compromising our health and safety, because of our nursing shortage; a shortage that the Minister should have been well aware of before last Friday considering we've been discussing this for two years now and felt it was important enough to include in the mandate of the 19th Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.