Midwife ready for work By CRIS LEYKAUF TERRACE’S ONLY active midwife hopes to start work- ing full time in that capacity, now that the provincial government has announced it will pay midwives for their services. The government announced recently that midwives will be registered and will receive public money beginning this fall. The amount will be determined through negotiations be- tween the province and the Midwives Association of B.C. In Ontario, midwives with a full case load make between $60,000 and $70,000 a year. Right now local midwife, Margaret Miskelly, charges about $1,500 for an average pregnancy. Miskelly took her midwife training in Australia and now works as a registered nurse at Mills Memorial Hospital. “{ cerlainly am interested in getting licensed and am in- terested in working as self employed midwife,” says Mis- kelly. She’s not sure what type of criteria she would have to meet, but she’s already registered with the provincial midwives association, ‘Miskeily welcomes the financing news as since she bas been trying to promote midwifery for years, “I think it will be very good for women,”’ says Miskelly. College of Midwives co-chair Luba Lyons Richardson says she expects about 50 people to be registered in the first year. ““We’re very pleased with the announcement,’’ says Richardson. ‘‘We've been very concemed about making policies and setting standards,”’ She feels the public perception of midwives is improy- ing, but adds a lot more education is needed, The news that midwifes will receive public monies was greeted by everyone — physicians have said they are worried that home delivery might present difficulties if there are problems during birth, There are a number of advantages to having a midwife assist a pregnant! woman, says Miskelly. ‘‘Women can get more personalized care, continuing support, time at home,” she explains, At the same time Miskelly is careful not to discredit the work of doctors. ‘'I certainly would not wish to detract from work physicians do,’’ she adds. ‘‘Physicians have given mostly very good care to pregnant women.”’ However, she thinks midwives may be able to spend more time with their patients than doctors would. On average she says midwives give 44 hours of care to every low risk pregnant woman. That involves care during her pregnancy, delivery and six weeks after the baby is born. . “In my experience, that is more time than my physician gave me in my low risk pregnancy,’’ says Miskelly. Midwives only look after low risk pregnant women, she adds, Any woman who might have complications, even twins, must see a doctor. . The theory behind midwifery is that pregnancy is a normal thing which happens to women, she says. ‘“When the abnormal happens, that’s when we need physicians,’? says Miskelly. That’s not the controversial part of midwifery. What's controversial is women who want a midwife to assist them with at-home births. “Midwifery is supported by quite a number of physicians in town,”’ says Miskelly, But she admits many: are concerned that the emergency system isn’t set up well enough for at home births. Miskelly answers those céii- cems by saying that women who want lo give birth at home, must give their informed consent. —~\_ TERRACE CO-OP) ‘Fo-op /2 MIOWIFE MARGARET MISKELLY poses with one of the babies she has he S See s eed |ped bring into the world. She's looking forward to midwifes taking a more prominent health care role in the province. MAY 2,3 & 4 PRIC SELECTED SALE RACKS ONLY MENS - LADIES & CHILDRENS ALL SALES FINAL - NO REFUNDS Fed phones very busy IF YOU are a senior citizen and have been having trouble reaching the feder- al government’s 1-800 line to ask ques- tions about the Old Age Security pro- gram and the Canada Pension Plan, you are not alone. “The line is close to capacity and will continue to: be busy until the middle of May,” says a federal government spokesman. “In addition to going through the busiest time of the year operationally, we are experiencing some technical dif- ficulties with the telephone system,” adds Marguerite Gobeil of Human Resources Development Canada. So she’s suggesting people trying phoning the line after 3 p.m. cach and toward the end of the-week forthe -next- two weeks. _ And for those who need the number, it is 1-800-277-9914. ve ggAte A AMLL cena The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 1, 1996 - Ag News in Brief Strike vote underway MEMBERS OF the United Food and Commercial Workers Union arc holding meetings and strike votes across the province, The approximately 13,000 union members working at Safeway and Overwaitea stores are being asked to show their employers they reject proposals to cut their wages and benclits, They’ve been without a contract since the end of March and the results of the vote could be released by the middle of last week, The company is asking the employees to take an im- mediale $2 an hour wage and benefit rollback and an- other $4 rollback over the life of the next contract, says union official Tom Fox. Employers also want to hire more part time people at a new wage of $8 an hour and without benefits, he said. Fox did add that an overwhelming strike vote does not mean workers will take immediate job action. He said the grocery stores will be given plenty of notice so thal perishable food won't go to waste. PDA still searching here THE PROGRESSIVE democratic alliance party is hav- ing a tough time finding a candidate in the Skeena riding, Caucus chair Angie March says the party was initial- ly considering two different people in Terrace, but nei- ther have worked out But, March says the party is still looking, and hopes to find someone in time for the election. Should a candidate be found, it'll bring up to five the number of people trying to be the next provincial repre- sentative for Skeena. Slight budget increase THE EDUCATION ministry has given School District 88 just over $36.6 million for the 1996/97 school year. That's up $279,000 or .77 per cent from last year. Enrollment increases for the slight increase this year. -However, secrctary-treasurer Barry Piersdorff says en- rollment has actuajly increased more than is accounted for by the budget. “*The increase in funding does not keep pace with the increase in enrollment,’’ says Piersdorif. Although the Kitimat and Terrace school districts will amalgamte mid-way through this next school year in December, both districts will receive the same amount of moncy as if they were slaying separate. A combined budget will take hold for the 1997-98 fiscal ycar, Heritage chief visits THE HEAD OF a federal political party is making Ter- race his first stop on a northern and interior tour of the province. Ron Gray, leader of the Christian Heritage Party, will speak here at he Happy Gang Centre May 2 at 8 p.m. . The Abbotsford resident. goes. to Smithers the next day and then. heads. east before going into the Cariboo. 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