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Midwife shortage: No local midwives in VI!

- Virgin Islanders are encouraged to consider Midwifery as their profession
Premier Hon. Dr. Orlando Smith with Nursing Director Mrs. Jacinth Campbell-Hannibal , Chief Nursing Officer Mrs, Bernette B. Scatliffe, Head of the Obstetrics Unit Ms. Emerald Pemberton and the Midwives from the Peebles hospital.
Head of the Obstetrics Unit, Ms. Emerald Pemberton along with The Ministry’s Public Relation Manger, Ms. Tamara Archibald Gill at the Opening Ceremony of the International Day of Midwifery.
Head of the Obstetrics Unit, Ms. Emerald Pemberton along with The Ministry’s Public Relation Manger, Ms. Tamara Archibald Gill at the Opening Ceremony of the International Day of Midwifery.
Head of the Obstetrics Unit, Ms. Emerald Pemberton along with The Ministry’s Public Relation Manger, Ms. Tamara Archibald Gill at the Opening Ceremony of the International Day of Midwifery.
Head of the Obstetrics Unit, Ms. Emerald Pemberton along with The Ministry’s Public Relation Manger, Ms. Tamara Archibald Gill at the Opening Ceremony of the International Day of Midwifery.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - Nursing Director of Peebles Hospital, Mrs. Jacinth Campbell-Hannibal, in presenting her remarks on International Midwives Day, revealed that of 12 Midwives at the Peebles Hospital none of them are locals of the Virgin Islands.

Midwifery practioners, representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Premier Hon. Dr. D. Orlando Smith, all gathered yesterday May 3, 2012, at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park to commemorate International Midwives Day, which is officially slated for May 5.

Mrs. Hannibal told the attendees of the ceremony that among the many midwives in the general practice within the Virgin Islands, there are 12 mid-wives in actual practice at the Hospital which she said is “definitely not enough”.

“None of them are locals, this is definitely not good enough.”

Public Relations Manager for the BVI Health Services Authority, Ms. Tamara Archibald Gill informed Virgin Islands News Online that the 12 Midwives working at Peebles Hospital are from the islands of Grenada, Jamaica, Guyana, St. Vincent, St. Kitts and Dominica.

Looking at the good job that midwives have done, Mrs. Hannibal mentioned that of 312 deliveries done at Peebles hospital in 2011, 212 were by natural delivery, where 2/3 of the deliveries were done by midwives.

Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs. Bernett B. Scatliffe stated that midwives are important for the well-being of both infants and their mothers and it’s a shame that many people in the Virgin Islands, 40 years and younger, do not know who is a mid wife and what they do.

“In preparing for today’s event, I saw it interesting to ask persons within the community what they knew about midwives, amazingly, except for a few, many persons particularly those 40 years and younger, admitted to never hearing the term.”

She said she asked persons what do they think if there were no midwives existing in the country, where she received responses such as, “I guess we won’t have any more babies” and “I guess our babies will born with problems”.

“There is much work to be done in the VI to return midwifery to its place of prominence in this country, a place where each member of the community, knows the role and work of a midwife and to gain knowledge of why persons in the community are not attracted to the field,” said the Chief Nursing Officer.

She stated that in the past, midwives that existed in the Virgin Islands managed and delivered most or all uncomplicated deliveries and even some complicated ones, both in the communities and in the hospital, but today that is not so.

“There is a shortage of midwives in the BVI, for more than 20 years the BVI had no new recruits for midwifery education.”

Ms. Scatliffe stated that the care of mothers and infants in this country are mostly managed by private doctors. She said the main goal of the midwives is to reduce the infant and maternal mortality rate.

Head of the Obstetrics Unit, Ms. Emerald Pemberton said in an effort to promote the midwifery profession in the VI, the BVI Nurses Association and the Nursing Administration are working with the schools to demonstrate to the students how important midwifery is to the country and how important it is for young people to be interested.

She told this news site that International Midwives Day is mainly to improve the care of mothers and infants thus decreasing the number of infant deaths that occur annually.

The goal for International Midwives Day 2012 is to raise awareness of Midwifery, locally, nationally, regionally and globally.

The objectives hoped to achieve from this year’s goal is informing, celebrating and motivating midwifery.

The committee for the international day will also be hosting a walk on May 5 2012, starting from the parking lot of the Government House, circling Road Town and ending at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park.

16 Responses to “Midwife shortage: No local midwives in VI!”

  • wait a min (04/05/2012, 07:26) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    well like in a lot of other places local need not apply
  • insider (04/05/2012, 07:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The issues of indigenous BVI people being shut out of many areas in the work force have become the normal. They cannot get work in the yachting industry because they born here, they cannot get work in the prison system (the place that was build to lock them up) because they born here, they cannot get work in the medical industry because they born here. They cannot get promotion in the police force when they are qualified as there only sin is they born here. In certain position that was reserved for indigenous people like permanent secretary jobs and running for our house of assembly-elected office are now gone as you no longer have to be from here. The BVI has taken a sad turn where the indigenous people are the bottom of the pile and no one cares about them in the country. I say it needs a UN investigation to show the discrimination and oppression of the locals who are now the minority in this country. What a sad day. I like in the states and will never come back home to that situation.
    • Crank Shaft (04/05/2012, 09:37) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Oh just shut up your stupid ignorant mouth. It's people like you why the youth think the way they do. How many locals want to be midwives? Have you done that research? Go suck and egg. you talk about elected officials but it's mostly locals that vote. If we had a problem with any official, which is Myron you picking on, over 4000 of us wouldnt have voted for him. When Mark, Juggy and Archie run before it wasn't a problem, your hatred for one man is obvious but you can suck an egg. Its the government job especially when offering scholarships to put forward the needs of the country and let the youth choose a path. the government signing off on scholarships for IT technicians and a set of other stuff that are being phased out. companies are now doing IT from overseas with technology, only government can hire them when they come back. Why not offer scholarships in the fields most lacking? put up or shut up, we already have first preference to jobs, land and everything else, stop the damn complaining, get off your ass, get qualified and you will be fine. this victim bulls>>t is played out now man. Any expat getting a favor over a local is usually assisted by another local, get the facts straight. it's our own hatred for each other that have the country going down the drain, nobody else.
    • Simple Simon (04/05/2012, 12:50) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      So you like it in the US? That makes you as equal as the people you seem not to like i.e. you don't like yourself. Do US history and you will be asking: Where are the locals, the indigenous people of America?
  • U. Smith (04/05/2012, 09:11) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    and i am sure if locals apply they would not get the work....jah
    • candyapple (04/05/2012, 10:14) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      I wonder why, dem probally aint brite enough or maybe dem want to run the hospital further in the ground, ha ha ha, why dont you send all the midwife home lets see what would happen since alyo like to say send dem back , real clowns
  • timeline (04/05/2012, 10:59) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    people we are one caribbean people our antsister cme from Africa to the caribban. When we go to America what the call us? caribbean people right? Well come on stop fighting
    • she the cat mother (04/05/2012, 13:07) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      So sad to see the immediate knee jerk reaction to wrongly cry we are one people!!! facts tis B V Islanders have certain rights in their country. In many constitutions around the world there are special provisions to protect the indigenous residents...why when coming to here it seems to be a bad word???????? That is where the reform is needed - speed up the protections of locals….
      • tell it like it is (04/05/2012, 14:32) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        TO SHE THE CAT MOTHER: you’re the first or one of the few people I ever read defending the locals, but you are so right everyone talks bad and hate B VIslanders but they all fighting to come live and work here legally or illegally.
        • Oh Shut Up!! (04/05/2012, 17:08) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
          "For more than 20 years the BVI had no new recruits for midwifery education.” You didn't read that?!!! Why you think they have 12 midwives down the hospital who are not from here. Because it doesn't have any body to fill the positions who are BVIslanders. If it does have NOBODY applying. Why don't 12 BVIslanders who need a job don't go down the hospital for the job them and see what the @$^& will happen?? Some of you just need to STFU.
  • Me (04/05/2012, 11:10) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Sad Sad Sad, now how about training some of those youths so they can find jobs as mid wives
  • Fat Head (04/05/2012, 12:14) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    It’s morally wrong & also unjust in my opinion, to oppress the indigenous people of a country and deny them jobs. There are so much locals here looking for work and cannot get a job but here you have the expats taking up all the work and treating locals like shit…..I feel sorry for locals as they are going through emotional stress & complications and if you ask me they are living in solitary confinement!
    • under the bus (04/05/2012, 16:34) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      i agree with the first portion of your comment but the last line is over the top!!!
  • the way it is (04/05/2012, 20:37) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why you all surprise about no locals in certain post?
  • Observation (05/05/2012, 23:48) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    How ironic ? Those two persons in the top positions are talking about the importance of Midwives when they themselves are not. Having midwifery was one of the qualifications needed for such positions. but it was not the case for them. Some time ago a person in a similar position said Midwives were not needed anyone can do deliveries. So what are the crying about. The comment about locals not in such post, The local Nurses now does not want to do midwifery, for what ever reason is not known. So the BVI would always have to recruit. BVI in the past has had some wonderful and dedicated local Midwives. Last Tami are you are midwife? Had to be in the Pic.
  • Trini/UK midwife (30/10/2014, 22:14) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Midwifery is a very rewarding profession but it deals with life and death constantly. Midwives practise autonomously so they take responsibility for important decisions about the mother and child. That is different from Nursing. I don't know how well your Just home, all went well. Going to rest x are paid but if they are not


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