UTech, Ja. Voices

19 January – April 2020 | VOICES Bi-Monthly Magazine of the University of Technology, Jamaica “I believe Jamaica has the potential to revitalise community midwifery during this COVID-19 pandemic. Under these circumstances, individualised care in the comfort of the clients’ homes is a viable option, even as social distancing becomes paramount and will be the new normal for some time. All things considered, the following strategies, if adopted by the relevant stakeholders and policymakers, may serve as stimulus for the revitalisation of community midwifery. (1) develop policies that support community midwifery generally; (2) increase the number of community midwives which may be achieved through training and recruitment; (3) re-engage retired community midwives; (4) improve remuneration for community midwives, making it commensurate to work and worth, because if incentivised, community midwives will be more motivated to work in this area; (5) provide and mobilise resources so that community midwives may live in zones of work, and by the same token accommodation may be provided on the grounds of the health or birthing centre; (6) package community midwifery services so that it is attractive to clients; (7) increase the number of midwifery educators, facilitators, and preceptors; and (8) equip community midwives with entrepreneurial skills with the intention to have them (independent practitioners) manage birthing centres — a service that is in great demand, especially in rural communities. While I cannot claim to have the ultimate solution to the current community midwifery situation in Jamaica, these strategies may contribute to its revitalisation even as we seek to offer quality, safe, and respectful maternal and child health services to clients at the community level.” Link to full article: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/opinion/covid- 19-a-springboard-for-revitalising-community-midwifery_193487?prof ile=1096 COVID-19 — A springboard for Revitalising Community Midwifery Dr. Adella Campbell UTech, Jamaica nursing and midwifery students. Contributed by Dr. Adella Campbell, Head, Caribbean School of Nursing and Midwifery The following is an excerpt from an article published Tuesday, May 05, 2020 in the Jamaica Observer. It is reprinted with kind permission. See url links to full text. Strategies to improving community midwifery