Ministry of Health & Environment

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President of the Jamaica Midwives Association, Carmen Walker Sutherland is encouraging more young women, who have the necessary qualifications, to enter the midwifery profession.

She told JIS News that there is need for more midwives across the island, as currently, many parishes have less than the required cadre set by the Ministry of Health and Environment. She noted for example, that while the required number of midwives for Kingston and St. Andrew is 45, only 30 are operating in the parishes, four of whom were brought back into the system after retirement.

"There is always a need for more midwives as while many will stay in the profession, others will leave for more lucrative fields," she told JIS News.

According to Mrs. Walker Sutherland, the shortage of persons in the profession was not unique to Jamaica, as recent reports from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) indicate that there is a need for 700,000 midwives around the world, to ensure universal access to skilled care at birth.

Midwives are critical in ensuring a safe delivery and healthy newborn. Their work includes creating partnerships with women to provide the necessary support, care and advice during pregnancy, labour and the post partum period, in addition to delivering and providing care for the newborn and the infant.

Additionally, a midwife has an important task in health counselling and education, not only for the women, but also for the family and community. This involves providing antenatal education and preparing the mother and father for parenthood, and may extend to women's health, sexual and reproductive health, and childcare.

"Midwives contribute greatly in ensuring safe motherhood. In fact, we are the backbone of primary health care in Jamaica," Mrs. Walker Sutherland said, noting that with more persons in the field, there would be less overcrowding at some of the hospitals and health centres.

Interested persons should be at least 19 years of age and have the requisite qualification similar to the requirement to enter general nursing, which is, five CXC subjects. There is a two-year training period. "You do not have to be a nurse to be a midwife as (the midwife) is a professional in her own right," the President reminded, adding that, "it is a wonderful and rewarding profession."

The Jamaica Midwives Association has grown from strength to strength since its formation in June 1960 at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital, and now has some 300 members.

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