In a move aimed at bolstering maternal care services, the Government of Saskatchewan has announced significant amendments to The Midwifery Regulations. These revisions, proposed by the Saskatchewan College of Midwives (SCM), are poised to strengthen the role of midwives across the province, enabling them to provide comprehensive care within their full scope of practice.
The amendments pave the way for midwives to play a bigger role in maternal healthcare by granting them expanded responsibilities. Among the key provisions are the authority for midwives to prescribe and administer appropriate drugs, order x-rays when clinically necessary, and conduct newborn hearing screenings.
To maintain the highest standards of care, the SCM mandates that its members undergo necessary training and continually update their competencies to provide the expanded services effectively. Midwives employed by the Saskatchewan Health Authority will also be required to meet professional development, education, and training requirements as part of their employment obligations.
Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Office, Laura Ross, spoke to the importance of empowering women in their reproductive health choices. Strengthening the role of midwives ensures that women can make informed decisions with confidence, thereby enhancing care for women across the province.
“Providing women with choice in their reproductive health is important, and strengthening the role of midwives helps ensure women can make those choices with confidence,” Minister Ross said. “Ensuring midwives can provide more fulsome care for women means greater access for those in communities across the province.”
The regulatory amendments are the result of extensive consultation with key stakeholders, including the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan, and the Midwives Association of Saskatchewan. Now as expectant mothers embark on their pregnancy journey, they can do so with confidence, knowing that they have access to a robust network of midwives dedicated to their well-being and that of their newborns.
