Midwives eyed as antenatal fix

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The midwifery scheme hopes to facilitate home births in the future.

Low acuity pregnancy cases are be farmed out to midwives at primary health clinics (PHCs) in an attempt to lessen the burden on physicians at Dubai's overcrowded Al Wasl Hospital.

Following a three-month pilot scheme conducted at Al Bada'a clinic, the Department of Health and Medical Services (DoHMS) will spin out the programme across the emirate's PHCs.

"At the moment it is the primary care physicians who are providing care," admitted Alison Ramsay, director of nursing at Al Wasl Hospital. "But as we train more midwives and recruit more midwives then we will be able to leave low-risk care to them.

Ramsay said the new plans were likely to feature home visits from midwives and that plans were afoot to offer patients home births.

"If we can offer women the choice, and they don't have any risk factors, then that would be a step forward but it is very early stages," she said.

Home visits have previously been held back by Dubai's complex regulatory requirements and Ramsay said the service would require a substantial amount of research before being launched.

"We haven't got into the details about the regulations and the licensing and there is a whole lot of work that must be done before we offer these services," Ramsay said. "We have to have a really good system in place in case the woman does have complications.

Ramsay added that DoHMS aimed to recruit more midwives for the drive and that Al Wasl hospital will also proceed to launch the country's first midwifery school in September. The 12-month course will furnish nurses with a bachelor of midwifery qualification.

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