The midwifery program at the University of British Columbia is currently undergoing a review. According to CBC News, officials say they many not be able to accept as many students next year because of budget crunch.
According to a Victoria midwife, this could mean bad news for the profession in general as well as for many moms-to-be in B.C.
"We have far more women interested in our care than we can provide care to," said Heather Wood. "If we don't have new midwives coming out every year from the UBC midwifery program, it means women simply will not have midwives to meet their birthing needs, and this is a great concern to us and women and their families as well."
Wood said the 170 midwives now practising in B.C. were calling on the provincial government to provide increased, stable funding for the midwifery program."
The UBC program placed a warning on their website on Monday, stating they may not be accepting any more students to to funding shortages. The program's director Sarswathi Vedam, said "We were funded for 10 students, now we don't have the funding to grow the program." She estimates the program needs at least $2 million per per in order to meet the current need and maintain the growing demand. The province now pays $660,000 a year for midwifery training at the university as was stated in a written statement from B.C.'s Minister of Advanced Education, Moira Stillwell.
Source: CBC News
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