Saturday October 5, 2024 | VERNON, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
BC ELECTION CAMPAIGN DAY 15 of 28
Political campaign news coverage by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Your 28-day voter’s guide for BC Election 2024
A re-elected BC NDP government would expand the role of midwives, as announced today by Premier David Eby during a campaign event in Vernon, BC.
Midwives can provide the full range of treatment for medical abortions and carry out IUD insertions, as outlined by Eby. He says this is high-quality care to women when they need it, in the communities where they live.
He says this is aligned with the current policy for providing free contraceptive prescriptions through pharmacies.
In some rural communities a midwife is the only health-care professional available, it was pointed out today by a midwife who joined the premier’s media announcement.
This expansion of duties will also allow for STI testing and provision of care for sexual assaults, said Eby today.
Midwives have a suitable bedside manner for handling a lot of these additional responsibilities, says one VGH nurse.
Election context:
Promises made during an election campaign of course require the incumbent government to be re-elected in order to bring forth action on those promises.
Eby today said that the primary opposition to the BC NDP — which is the Conservative Party of BC — leans toward budget cuts. Eby also pointed out that the BC Conservatives have some anti-choice candidates which “could put access to reproductive health-care at risk”.
===== RELATED:
- BC midwives may recommend infant formula while breastfeeding remains top choice (November 11, 2023)
- Access to infant formula now available through midwives (September 13, 2023)
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