CBC Radio One, March 12, 2008

Here's a transcript of the news stories about midwifery that CBC Radio One aired the morning of March 12. I also did an interview for the afternoon show at 5:10 pm on March 11. We will be continuing with media exposure, including contacting the newspapers, after we have submitted our invoices for midwifery services to the government and potentially received a response from them.

1. Saskatchewan midwives had a reason to celebrate last Monday. The proclamation of the Midwife Act made them a provincially recognized self regulating and publicly funded profession. Midwives in the Yukon are not so lucky. Their fees are not covered by Yukon medicare and the debate over whether they should be regulated is ongoing. Asheya Hennessey is the president of the Yukoners For Funded Midwifery. Her group is meeting with the department of Health and Social Services to discuss midwife regulations since last fall. Her organization is primarily concerned with ensuring midwifery is government funded but a lack of regulations could delay that goal. (Hennessey) "The department of Health and Social Services has definitely been very willing to work with us towards looking at midwifery services being integrated into the health care system and they do seem quite optimistic about it happening but we are going through this process where there will be a decision around whether it should be regulated and that may affect the length of time that it takes for midwifery services to be come fully integrated." The NWT has already passed legislation and Nunavut has draft legislation in place.

2. (6:30 a.m.) Saskatchewan has made midwifery a publicly funded profession on Monday. The president of the Yukoners For Funded Midwifery hopes that the territory will follow the lead. (Keitha Clark) Asheya Hennessey had her first baby in the Yukon two years ago. She wanted a midwife to help with the delivery but says it was too expensive. (Hennessey) "I think as Canadians we're just not used to paying for health care." Hennessey is due to have her second child in April and plans to have a midwife present to deliver her baby. She says it remains expensive but it's something she wants to do. Currently Yukon doesn't fund midwife services. When Hennessey founded Yukoners For Funded Midwifery in 2006 she hoped to change that but first the debate over whether to regulate the service must be wrapped up. She says if midwifery is not regulated it may become more challenging to obtain government funding. Her group has been meeting with the department of Health and Social Services since last fall to discuss this issues. (Hennessey) "This process where there will be decision around whether it should be regulated or not may affect the length of time that it takes for midwifery services to become fully integrated." The meetings wrap up next month which Hennessey says will be followed by public consultation on the issue. Hennessey is optimistic about the process, however, even if the regulation debate is wrapped up and funding is legislated she says that doesn't provide a financial solution for women like herself who are paying for a midwife right now. Hennessey hopes to submit a bill for her midwife services to the Yukon government later this week. (Hennessey) "It's hard to say. I mean it's worth a shot. I think it just demonstrates that we need the midwifery services now." NWT has already regulated midwifery and Nunavut has draft legislation in place.

*note, I changed the spelling of my name in these transcripts so it is correct - Asheya Hennessey