In line with achieving national strategic health goals, the Primary Health care Corporation (PHCC) has announced that 10 of its health centers will have midwife-led clinics.
The midwifery-led services aimed at normalising pregnancy and birth in accordance with the Qatar National Health Strategy’s (NHS 2018-2022) focus on healthy women leading to healthy pregnancies.
The clinics to provide midwifery services to low risk women during the antenatal period and during the postpartum period.
PHCC on its website said that the midwifery-led clinics will operate at Al Wakra, Al Thumama, Omar Bin Al Khattab, West Bay, Al Gharafa, Qatar University, Leabaib, Al Waab, Al Wajba, and Abu Bakr Al Siddiq health centers.
At present license of 10 midwives working at PHCC was approved by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH)’s Medical Licensing Department, after the completion of required training required at the Women’s Wellness and Research Center (WWRC).
PHCC has emphasised that the number of midwives and health centres that provide this service will be gradually increased in the near future to provide integrated health care to pregnant women in cases of low-risk pregnancies.
“The midwife clinic is one of the main pillars that help achieve the national strategic goal Healthy Women, aiming for healthy pregnancies,” said PHCC.
According to PHCC, services at midwifery clinics are offered to pregnant women whose doctors confirm during the first weeks of pregnancy that they have low-risk pregnancy and to be referred afterwards to a midwifery clinic. At the clinics they are followed up from weeks 16 to 32 of pregnancy, until being referred by their doctors to the hospital to complete follow-up and delivery.
The midwife’s care during pregnancy includes taking preventive measures, promoting normal births, doing physical assessments, offering prenatal health education, and conducting all necessary tests such as blood tests and ultrasound. It also includes prescribing essential dietary supplements, emphasizing the importance of good nutrition, providing a healthy lifestyle for pregnant women, and helping to resolve pregnancy-related issues, which would help pregnant women adapt to mental and physical changes.
This is in addition to monitoring fetal growth and heart rate, preparing pregnant women for delivery, identifying cases of depression, providing awareness of family planning methods, as well as encouraging breastfeeding, while enabling pregnant women to make decisions related to delivery and childcare by providing options supported by scientific information and all recommendations available.
In case of pregnancy complications or health problems such as gestational diabetes, thyroid imbalance and high blood pressure, the midwife provides appropriate assistance and refers to the doctor.
In the postpartum period, the midwife follows up the puerperal patient by assessing the risks to provide integrated care, such as conducting necessary tests, prescribing essential supplements, supporting healthy and balanced nutrition, monitoring the uterus returning to its pre-pregnancy size, advising on family planning, and encouraging exercise. In addition midwifes also encourage breastfeeding and providing the necessary health and mental support to mothers.
