By Caleb Kuleke
Ho, Nov. 10, GNA- Madam Leticia Atiah, the National President of the National Association of Registered Midwives Ghana (NARM-GH), has appealed to the Government to reconsider the remuneration package for midwives across the country.
She said midwives constituted a significant and critical segment of the healthcare workforce, playing a vital role in ensuring the safety of pregnant women, mothers, and newborns.
Madam Atiah made these remarks in a statement shared with the Ghana News Agency, following an engagement with midwives during the Young African Women Congress Network (YAWC-NET) programme held in Accra.
She said it was worrying that the current conditions of service left much to be desired, leaving many midwives struggling to survive.
Madam Atiah called on the Government to re-evaluate their remuneration to align with the demanding nature of their work.
The President argued that midwifery was a distinct professional discipline requiring specialised knowledge, competencies, and high levels of responsibility and accountability.
Madam Atiah noted that midwives safeguarded lives during pregnancy, labour, delivery, and the management of obstetric emergencies, often operating independently without the immediate aid of doctors.
She highlighted that midwives acted as prescribers, particularly during antenatal care, active labour, and the management of life-threatening complications such as postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and eclampsia.
Madam Atiah said their duties also encompassed essential newborn care, including the resuscitation of asphyxiated babies, and that midwifery was not merely an extension of general nursing, nor a role limited to conducting only normal deliveries.
The President noted that while midwives frequently referred highly complicated cases to obstetricians, they functioned as critical thinkers in Maternal and Child Health (M&CH).
This specialised field focuses on the physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being of women throughout their childbearing years, as well as infants and children through adolescence.
Madam Atiah shed light on the psychological distress midwives endured when facing tragic outcomes such as intrauterine deaths, fresh stillbirths, and maternal mortality.
Given these profound emotional and professional demands, she reiterated that it was imperative for the Government to restructure their remuneration to truly reflect the unique nature of the profession.
GNA
Edited by: Maxwell Awumah/ Christabel Addo