The Office of the Chief Nursing Officer (OCNO) has established that caseload midwifery is the most appropriate and effective type of midwifery in the nursing circles of Australia. Caseload midwifery, which entails the mother to-be knowing all the details about the midwife giving her personalized attention, has been described as the only type that gives the patient or the client the chance to have a professional accountable for any complication that may develop in the process of giving birth (Dietsch et al, 2008). Arguably, infant mortality is among the most notable threats to the human race. The rate of infant mortality is comparatively lower than it was in the 1990s, in Australia. Even so, many new born children continue to lose their lives during the process of birthing. Among the principal causes of such deaths is the fact that the rural midwifery units are being closed down on the grounds that the government cannot afford to sustain such facilities, when there are leading hospitals that can handle that which such units are handling (Willis et al, 2009). This paper endeavors to explain how and why the government should affordably sustain the local midwifery units.
The Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) has established that, from reliable evidence, the small delivery units perform better than the big hospital in as far as midwifery is concerned. Risk-adjusted data on midwifery indicate that obstetric results of small rural hospitals are comparatively better. Additionally, evidence from the researches carried out by the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) indicates that, contrary to normal misconceptions, delivery in the local units is sufficiently safe (National Rural Health Alliance, 2006). In line with the liberal feminist principles, putting up the rural delivery centers empowers women in many ways. Among the most common ways, in which the rural centers empower women, is the fact that the local delivery centers offer employment opportunities to all those people that are proficient in nursing and midwifery.
Between 1990 and 2005, approximately 130 local delivery centers have been closed down by the government on claims that such centers increase government spending. Rationally, such closing down such centers does not reduce the overall cost but shifts such costs to the rural population. The costs are shifted to the rural women in the form of transport, accommodation and food in the prominent hospitals located away from the rural residences. Experts argue that locating the centers in the rural areas will be useful, particularly in the event that an expectant mother develops serious complications prior to the date or time of birth (Moore, 2009). However, the experts recommend that the rural centers should be equipped with the necessary equipment in case of such serious complications as cervical incompetence in women. Sustaining such rural centers requires that the government deploys qualified personnel to such places.
The concept of midwifery group practice is among the most effective concepts in the field of midwifery since the expectant women are able to access continuous monitoring. Such continuous monitoring includes such concepts as active management of labor. Active management of labor is done so as to ensure cephalic presentations are in order (Leipert et al, 2012). Such services cannot be accessed in the event that the hospital is far away from the expectant mothers. Requiring rural mothers to visit hospitals located in the distant cities is equal to denying them the right to access antenatal and postnatal services, which are particularly beneficial for both the child and the mother. Having the women visit hospitals located far away from their rural homes attracts such costs as the ambulance costs. Additionally, the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) argues that this is a way of oppressing rural women. Feminine principles require that all people be treated equally. Therefore, the rural women should access the same rights and privileges as the urban women.
References
Dietsch, E., Carmel D., Shackleton, p., Alston, M and McLeod, M. (2008). Luckily We Had a Torch: Contemporary Birthing Experiences of Women Living in Rural and Remote NSW. Charles Sturt University Press
Leipert, B. D., Leach, B., & Thurston, W. E. (2012). Rural women's health. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Moore, A. (2009). Pioneering a New Model of Midwifery Care: A Phenomenological Study of Midwifery Group Practice. Victoria: Australia Catholic University Research Services
National Rural Health Alliance. (2006). Principles for maternity services in rural and remote Australia. Deakin West, A.C.T: National Rural Health Alliance Inc.
Willis, E., Reynolds, L., & Keleher, H. (2009). Understanding the Australian health care system. Sydney: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier.
