B.C. midwives say demand is growing for their services and it would be the wrong time to cut funding in the province's only training program. (CBC)Midwives in B.C. are raising the alarm about a potential slowdown in the province's only registered midwife training program.
The program at the University of British Columbia is undergoing a funding review and officials say they may not be able to accept as many students next year because of a budget crunch.
One Victoria midwife told CBC News the funding review could spell bad news for the profession and for many mothers-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.
Program already underfunded, says UBC
The UBC program was warning prospective students on its website Monday that they may not be accepted because of funding shortages.
In a written statement, B.C.'s Minister of Advanced Education, Moira Stillwell, said the province now pays $660,000 a year for midwifery training at the university.
But the UBC program's director said more money is needed.
"We were funded for 10 students, now we don't have the funding to grow the program," said Saraswathi Vedam.
She estimated the program needs at least $2 million a year to meet and maintain the growing demand.
