GMOA on midwifery: Inappropriate move

The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) yesterday said that proposed moves to give midwifery training to nurses who passed out recently was an inappropriate move.

GMOA spokesman Dr. Naveen de Soysa said the labour room was controlled and monitored by doctors along with midwives.

He said it was because of the doctors and midwives that the number of infant deaths and maternal deaths had decreased significantly. Midwives and nurses come under two categories and government doctors pointed out that midwifery was not a part of nursing.

“But if they are going to give midwifery training to 800 or 900 nurses only about ten will go as midwives, so what is the point?,” he questioned.

“A number of theatres have been closed down due to lack of nurses. So that is why we say that there is no point in giving midwifery training to nurses. Because nurses have their responsibilities at their respective wards,” he said. “So our point is that if the nurses are going to get involved in labour rooms, then there is no point in having us also,” he noted.