And a major barrier to a safe birth is the quantity and training standards of midwives.
The gloomy fact is that PNG has 152 practicing midwives. That’s a very low figure by international standards.
In PNG’s major referral hospital Port Moresby General Hospital, it is the cry from the director for nursing services Loa Babona for more midwives to be trained to assist women at child birth.
“My cry is not only for this hospital but for other hospitals in rural areas too.” She noted that in the obstetric and gynecology department, she has a staff strength of 105 of which 80 per cent are trained midwives, but that is still not enough.
She wants 100 percent of the staff to be trained midwives. But that is not possible for PMGH because two staff members are trained in midwifery at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences every year. “This is not enough. We would like to improve our numbers,” Babona said.
She is saddened that PMGH faces this shortages and it is worse for rural hospitals.
Australian High Commissioner to PNG Ian Kemish, in his weekly column Open Lines highlights this alarming reality.
