This bit of legislation has put midwifery under the control of doctors and sold out women's choice to birth at home with her own midwife
and is it no wonder when our prime minister, the honourable kevin rudd, at the AMA's union dinner says:
"In particular, tonight I want to acknowledge the hard work of Andrew Pesce as President of the AMA. I've appreciated Andrew's input and his engagement with
the health reform agenda in the meetings that we have had together in recent weeks.
The Government and the AMA are both committed to tackling the long-term challenge of health reform, and we are both committed on the direction we need to take to tackle this challenge - in particular, on the need for stronger clinician leadership within our health system.
In July last year, the AMA told us about the sorts of things that they would like to see in health reform....
Andrew, we heard you."
Date: 10 March 2010
News Type: Speech
Title: Speech to the 2010 AMA Parliamentary Dinner
Senate passes controversial birth bill | Herald Sun
4 comments:
I am so saddened by all this Carolyn.
My birthing future is in Dire Straits.
Both Chris & I would love more children in a few years time....
but with 2 scars already, even though I had a successful VBA2C, it still means an impossible predicament for us.
I witnesses my sister have an AMAZING beautiful, simple, joyous waterbirth, and am soooo jealous, and heartbroken as I can probably never have that now!
Katrina
I still think that homebirth can be an option.... I do think this is a starting point for the recognition for midwifery... the fight now is to define what that collabortion is to look like and certaily not to be under the control of the doctors... I hope Carolyn you are not right that the government has sold us out to the AMA.... I guess time will tell...but I hope you never have to tell me "I told you so"
Katrina, while I do believe we have been sold out, I also believe the situation is far from hopeless :-) there are many good people who really care, who want the best for childbearing women and their babies. The sheer weight of research that is demonstrating clearly the disastrous effects of unremitting stress on human functioning and physiology and the importance of the prenatal, birth and immediate postpartum period for the foundations of each individual's health and wellness is combining to present a fabulously strong platform for a better kind of maternity service provision. One that is totally centred on the woman and what her needs and dreams are; what is best for her. Because what the woman sees as best for her, is best for optimal growth for her baby. All very simple really. The mantra goes: look after the childbearing woman; make sure she is in a safe, supportive environment; attend to her needs; treat her with love, respect and kindness; listen to her; believe in her; help her to give birth her way and both the mother and her baby will do well.
Hi Pauline, as I said to Katrina, the situation is far from hopeless and I for one would never give up the vision of equitable and woman centred maternity care. Mind you, I am strongly of the opinion that childbearing is a life event, not a health care issue. However, the AMA as professional union is very powerful and the government has sold us out. The government just listened to the most powerful voice and who knows what threats were made? We know the union movement has done great things in the past to improve the rights and working conditions for ordinary men and women. However when an elite group of professionals are a powerful union, their push is generally more about self serving ends and maintaining power than human rights. Hegemony as a word springs to mind. Carolyn
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