Northern News Services

Fort Smith (May 13/02) - A Fort Smith woman is fighting back after her midwife was excluded from a meeting with a doctor.

Health Minister Michael Miltenberger: "We hope to talk this situation through."

Leslie Leong claims her rights were violated.

"I was pretty angry," Leong says of the incident.

She has officially registered her complaint against Dr. John Wezelman in a letter to the Department of Health and Social Services.

In the letter, Leong explains how she saw Wezelman on April 26 to obtain a referral for a test on the condition of the overdue baby she was carrying.

Wezelman was unavailable for comment when News/North contacted his office last week.

However, Leong says Wezelman told her that he did not want her midwife to be present. Leong says she was told Fort Smith doctors have decided to have no professional contact with midwives until they are legislated in the NWT.

Leong says her request to have the midwife present just for the test was also opposed by Wezelman, even though she believed it would not have required professional contact between the doctor and midwife. Her suggestion that the midwife be considered a friend and support person was also rejected.

Leong says Wezelman told her if she insisted on having the midwife present he would withdraw his referral.

"I still maintain that I have the right to have any person present during a medical test that I feel necessary for my well-being and piece of mind," Leong writes in a letter to Mark Cleveland, deputy minister of health.

She states the doctor saying he would withdraw his referral was a threat to force her into agreement with his wishes. "The use of a threat in the form of a withdrawal of medical services is completely inappropriate and unprofessional."

Leong also expresses concern doctors are deciding policy, not the Fort Smith Health Centre.

"With approximately 75 per cent of the pre-natal, birth and post-natal care in the year 2001 being taken care of by our local midwives, this policy clearly does not represent the wishes of the community," she writes.

Her son Makinen was born at home on April 29 with the assistance of midwives.

Health Minister Michael Miltenberger says he has discussed the incident with his department, the chair of the Fort Smith Health and Social Services Board, and with Fort Smith midwives.

"We hope to talk this situation through," Miltenberger says.

For the longer term, the minister says the government is aiming for policies, protocols and legislation for midwives and birthing centres. "We want to come up with a way to work together," he says.

"My goal is to have a system where everyone can relate to each other in a professional way," Miltenberger adds, stressing the well-being of patients is the top priority.