Midwifery services in Gaspésie: two projects on the table


In the MRC Avignon and Bonaventure, three midwives are at work. With their support, around thirty births have already taken place since the start of monitoring in August 2019.

As the number of newborns is not sufficient for a birth center to see the light of day, the Accès Sages-Femmes Baie-des-Chaleurs collective is campaigning in favor of the establishment of an alternative birth center located at near Maria’s hospital.

We note that in regions where childbirth in an alternative place is offered, it is the privileged choice of families. »

A quote from Caroline Hamelin, spokesperson for the Accès Sages-Femmes Baie-des-Chaleurs collective

This place would give an additional option to future mothers who want to be accompanied by a midwife, and who can only do so at the moment at home or at the hospital. According to Accès Sages-Femmes Baie-des-Chaleurs, some families who would have liked to welcome their baby outside the walls of a hospital have to do so.

The facade of Maria's Hospital.

The place of birth would be located near Maria’s hospital, whose facade we can see. It would allow families to recover after childbirth. In addition, midwives who come to do repairs in the region could be accommodated there (archives).

Photo: Radio-Canada / Isabelle Larose

Not everyone lives in a radius where it is possible to give birth at homerecalls its spokesperson, Caroline Hamelin.

At the collective’s request, a meeting was held in April with the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) in the hope that it would loosen the purse strings. However, no funding confirmation was received on this occasion. The door is not closednevertheless underlines Caroline Hamelin, who remains hopeful.

Caroline Hamelin, photographed outside.

Since last summer, Caroline Hamelin has been spokesperson for the Accès Sage-Femme Baie-des-Chaleurs collective, founded 14 years ago by citizens.

Photo: Courtesy of Caroline Hamelin

In order to convince Quebec, the group now intends to hire a project manager who will lay the foundations for the initiative and its budget. To do this, funding requests were recently sent to the MRC Avignon and Bonaventure.

If other donors could then be added to the project to contribute to its realization, the assistance of the MSSS remains, according to Ms. Hamelin, unavoidable.

We wanted, for a while, to do it on our side, but we need a recurring budget and only the ministry can provide it.she summarizes.

Two female hands on the belly of a pregnant woman lying on her back.

According to the collective, offering the choice of the place of birth to the future mother is particularly part of the approach of midwives (archives).

Photo: Getty Images / Ms. Emil

The collective, which remains optimistic, intends, thanks to its future resource, to demonstrate to the MSSS that it is possible to move forward with a project that will not require an exorbitant budget.

According to the group of citizens, the service, increasingly known and recognizedhas covered approximately 10% of pregnancy follow-ups in Baie-des-Chaleurs since the service was implemented. It is quite remarkable!rejoices Caroline Hamelin.

And on the Gaspé tip?

The Accès Sages-Femmes Côte-de-Gaspé collective has been campaigning for about ten years for the service to be provided locally, a step that has not yet been taken. However, developments are to be expected soon.

A working committee made up of members of the collective, the Gaspésie Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) and the Maison de la famille Parenfant is currently developing an application that should be submitted to the provincial government by the end of spring. .

Magalie Larochelle and Nastassia Williams.

Magalie Larochelle and Nastassia Williams are co-spokespersons for the Accès Sages-Femmes Côte-de-Gaspé collective (archives).

Photo: Courtesy: Magalie Larochelle and Nastassia Williams

Taking into account the shortage of midwives, this demand is divided into several phases. The committee initially wishes to hire a first midwife, who would add to the services of the perinatal center, launched this winter.

Other childbirth professionals could then be added to eventually allow the full deployment of services: birth at home, in a hospital center and in a place of birth.

If several important steps must be taken by then, the enthusiasm is present within the collective. We are very, very, very excited!launches the co-spokesperson, Magalie Larochelle, who believes that the project is one innovative and attractive.

I have every confidence that we will succeed in finding midwives who will want to join our project and come to work in Gaspé. »

A quote from Magalie Larochelle, co-spokesperson for the Accès Sages-Femmes Côte-de-Gaspé collective

For now, mothers from the Gaspé tip who wish to benefit from the support of a midwife must go to Baie-des-Chaleurs. According to the collective, it is a iniquity.

A pregnant woman during a consultation with a midwife.

At present, mothers from the Gaspé tip can have access to the services of a midwife in Baie-des-Chaleurs or at the birth center in Mont-Joli. In both cases, long distances have to be traveled (archives).

Photo: iStock

The group therefore hopes that the MSSS will take into account the expanse of the territory and will understand that the three-hour drive to take to benefit from the services already offered in the Gaspé constitutes a major barrier for the mothers of the Côte-de-Gaspé.

We find that from the beginning, the stars are well aligned. At worst, we will mobilize even more to make it workmentions Ms. Larochelle.

On the side of CISSS from the Gaspé…

Radio-Canada was unable to obtain an interview with the CISSS of the Gaspé on Thursday. However, the health network has confirmed that it is collaborating on several projects related to midwifery practice in the regions.

We want to consolidate the service in Baie-des-Chaleurs. Following this stage, in fact, the Côte-de-Gaspé seems to be the place most ready [à] get servicecan we read in the email sent by its media relations department.

the CISSS also indicates that human resources nevertheless remains the main challenge in the deployment services.



Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca

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