The health centres of Alberet, Lardero and Villamediana have been left without a midwife. The professional who worked in these centres has started maternity leave and will not be replaced, reported the Association of Midwives of La Rioja (Amalar), which warned that pregnant women from these sites will be referred to other centres.
From the Ministry of Health they explain that there is no one in the labor market to join them, so they are transferring them to the nearest centers, such as Navarrete or La Guindalera. On September 1 there will be a professional to replace the midwife in the core area of Alberite, although the Ministry assures that if a professional appears before then he will join immediately.
The towns are located in the Logroño metropolitan area and are growing significantly in the number of young people. La Rioja midwives confirm that this situation will cause further collapse and chaos as midwives from other centres will have to find spaces in their schedules for pregnant women in the field of basic health.
“The serious shortage of midwives is becoming increasingly real and tangible,” Amalar emphasizes. As they explain, there are very few professionals in La Rioja due to the lack of generational change that will increase in the coming years. “If we add to this that Rioja midwives do not receive any recognition for being specialized nurses, all this causes a rush of professionals to neighboring communities where they are better appreciated. Or on other occasions, midwives leave their jobs to cover nursing jobs, which are much better paid.”
Midwives fear that “many women are being left behind” and point out that there are many skills they develop in primary care: cervical cancer screening, pregnancy monitoring, postnatal and breastfeeding monitoring, contraceptive advice, menopausal counselling and countless other tasks. Likewise, they urge the Department of Health to provide a definitive solution.
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