Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Sep 26/05) - Hay River has nixed the idea of establishing a midwifery program.

On Sept. 22, the board of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority unanimously voted to drop the idea, which has been under consideration for about six months.

"The risk factors are far too high," said board member Robert Halifax.

While considering the midwifery idea, the board received two reports - one from a steering committee that included health authority CEO Paul Vieira and chief of staff Dr. Tina Lacerte, and the other from locum Dr. Treena Green.

Both reports recommended against establishing an official midwifery program. Right now, almost all women go to larger centres to have babies.

Hay River does not have surgical back-up if a Caesarean section is required.

Green, who no longer works in the community, reviewed the health charts of 83 Hay River women who had babies in Edmonton or Yellowknife over an 18-month period.

"There were more complications than expected," Vieira said.

In the low-risk category - women who previously had babies - one out of 10 had to have an unplanned Caesarean section. Among women who were having their first child, three out of 10 required a Caesarean section.

Board member Vince McKay said it was time to stop looking at the midwifery idea, unless Hay River gets a general surgeon and anaesthetist.

"I guess it's disappointing they decided not to do it," said midwife-supporter Aubrey Reintjes.

Aside from members on an experts panel, Reintjes was one of only two women to attend a public meeting on midwifery put on by the health authority in May.

She believes many women in the community want the option of midwifery, even though they didn't show up to the meeting.

Since the community's doctors were opposed, she is not sure if a big show of public support would have made a difference.

"But I can't help but think it might have," she said.

Reintjes was one of only four women to deliver a baby in Hay River in 2004.

Dr. Bing Guthrie, an obstetrician from Yellowknife's Stanton Hospital who once worked in Hay River, also attended the May meeting to explain his support for midwifery and how it operates elsewhere in the world.

Guthrie said he is a little disappointed by the board's decision, "because the system seems to be working in other communities."

New midwifery legislation came into force in the NWT in early 2005.

The NWT's first official midwifery program was established in Fort Smith this year as part of the community's health centre. Unofficially, midwifery has been in Fort Smith for well over a decade.

Guthrie said each community has to make its own decision on midwifery, noting the Hay River health authority did its research and made what it believes is the best decision for the community.