June 22, 1998
DOCS' JOB ACTION ISN'T HELPING US: MIDWIVES
The high cost of a midwife, which is not covered by Alberta Health, is putting many women off, says the president of the Alberta Association of Midwives, Joanna Greenhalgh. "At the moment, people have to find $1,200 to $2,000 from their own pockets for a midwife," she explained yesterday. "For that they get around 45 hours of care and midwives struggle below the poverty line - we have a lot of expenses." The Alberta Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has been boycotting new patients since May 15 unless they are referred by general practitioners as "high-risk" cases. Greenhalgh said her members have heard a lot of complaints from women about the obstetricians' job action in their efforts to get a pay hike from $277.78 per delivery to $455. "All we can do is listen," said Greenhalgh. "There is a lot of anger and a feeling that women are being held hostage by this action." She said the association sympathizes with the obstetricians' call for a pay hike but doesn't approve of their job action. Greenhalgh said a recent survey by Red Deer College showed that more people would use midwives if their services were funded by the government. The midwives' association has 35 members at the moment. Next Story: KEEPING TABS ON THOSE HANDY PERKS Previous Story: DUST DEVIL SMASHES SHED
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