I agree Miriam. I was shocked to hear this - but I also understand the man who said it was asked to stand down. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Miriam Hannay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 12:17 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] FFP
> I believe all midwives and midwifery students should > first ask themselves whether or not they want support > from and association with any party that endorses a > candidate who claims on national radio/print media/TV > that all lesbians are witches and should be burnt at > the stake. Maybe time to tread lightly, miriam > > Marilyn Kleidon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi Abby and Philippa and all: > > > > I looked at the FFP website this morning and > > actually sent off an email via > > their contact button. I kind of melded a few of the > > letters that we were > > sending to the politicians prior to the election. I > > will paste it below. I > > don't have the credentials to write a religious > > letter so it has no such > > content, purely secular. All the best. > > > > Dear Andrea: > > > > > > > > Since your party may now hold the balance of power > > in the Australian Senate > > I am writing to you to bring to your attention the > > issue of Safe, > > Sustainable Maternity Care and the National > > Maternity Action Plan (NMAP). > > > > > > > > Re: Safe, Sustainable Maternity Care and the > > National Maternity Action Plan > > (NMAP). > > > > > > > > I write to you as a concerned mother, midwife, and > > member of the Maternity > > Coalition. I support the campaign for choice and > > evidence based practice in > > maternity care for all Australian women. > > > > > > > > Safe, affordable maternity care is of major > > importance. Childbirth is the > > single most important reason for hospitalization in > > Australia. Australian > > maternity care is out of step with available > > evidence and the needs of > > women. In New Zealand, Canada, some states of the > > USA, and the United > > Kingdom, women are able to choose the care of a > > midwife throughout their > > pregnancy and birth. In the 10 years since New > > Zealand women were able to > > choose, midwifery care increased from 14% to over > > 70%. > > > > > > > > The relationship that is formed when midwives care > > for women is well > > documented. The World Health Organisation recognizes > > the midwife as the most > > 'appropriate' and 'cost effective' carer for healthy > > women. I am aware that > > 80-85% of Australian women are healthy and are best > > cared for by midwives, > > however, less than 1% of women can access continuous > > midwifery care > > throughout their pregnancy. > > > > > > > > Midwifery care has the potential to: > > > > > > > > ü Re-open many maternity services that have > > closed in recent years > > > > ü Provide much needed support to GP's and > > specialist Obstetricians and > > enable them to provide services to those with > > medical conditions, rather > > than healthy women > > > > ü Reduce Australia's over medicalisation of > > childbirth (particularly > > the unacceptable caesarean section rate of around > > 30%) and in the process > > save money. > > > > ü Help address post-natal depression that has > > been linked to surgical > > birth > > > > ü Through greater participation in healthcare > > and a focus on wellness > > promote self responsibility and address consumer > > litigation issues > > > > > > > > > > > > I ask you to acknowledge the wealth of evidence that > > proves the care of a > > known midwife as the most appropriate and cost > > effective maternity care for > > the majority of women. I also ask that you pursue > > this as an important issue > > and support the establishment of commonwealth > > funding for on-going community > > midwifery programs in metropolitan, regional and > > rural Australia to enhance > > current maternity care and provide a sustainable > > maternity services > > framework. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Maternity Care: Choice and Equity for Australian > > Women > > > > > > > > I write to support Maternity Coalition's campaign > > seeking urgent assistance > > for independently practicing midwives in obtaining > > professional indemnity > > (PI) insurance. Independent midwives are now the > > only health practitioners > > in Australia without PI insurance. > > > > > > > > I believe recommendations were made by the Howard > > Government that states and > > territories pass legislation requiring all regulated > > health practitioners to > > hold (PI) insurance as a consumer safety mechanism. > > Every consumer deserves > > this safety; women that choose the care of > > independently practicing midwives > > have been denied this safety for 3 years. > > > > > > > > Over the last 3 years consumers and midwives have > > made representations to > > government seeking indemnity assistance for > > midwives. Refusal to provide > > assistance to midwives is discriminatory and > > anti-competitive. Private > > Obstetricians are afforded a 50% premium subsidy by > > the Federal Government > > and through the new Medicare reforms, are entitled > > to package their care and > > cost shift their private work onto the public purse > > through the Medicare > > safety net. > > > > > > > > Independent midwives in Australia have been unable > > to purchase PI insurance > > world-wide. Contrary to some opinion this is not > > because they have a poor > > insurance record, it is simply due to their small > > numbers (around 200 > > Australia wide), these midwives in fact have an > > exemplary insurance history. > > > > > > > > Midwives are able to provide the entire carriage of > > care for healthy > > pregnant women. Midwives are providing the same > > service as an Obstetrician > > or General Practitioner (when surgical intervention > > is not performed). > > > > > > > > In rural and remote areas midwifery care is > > essential to providing safe and > > accessible care. Many rural women contract community > > midwives so they can > > receive care within their community from a female > > provider. > > > > > > > > For indigenous women the situation is more extreme. > > The vast majority of > > indigenous women living in rural communities are > > transported to a larger > > centre prior to giving birth. Not all women are > > willing participants and > > many refuse to leave 'country'. Midwives are then > > called > === message truncated === > > Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! Movies. > http://au.movies.yahoo.com > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
