Alberta midwives graduate to lack of jobs in home province

There was cause for celebration last week asMount Royal University's midwifery program graduated its first eight students.

• Alberta's first midwifery students graduate from Mount Royal University

However, it turns out that almost half of the graduating class is leaving the province to find work.

Three of the newly-graduated midwives are going to work in B.C. and one is without a job, according to the Alberta Association of Midwives.

The problem is that the provincial governmenthas capped funding for midwives at just under 2400 births per year.

There are 900 Albertans on the wait list for a midwife.The president of the Alberta Association of Midwives, Nicole Matheson, says the association would like to see all midwives trained in Albertaemployed here.

"It's difficult at this time, however I am hopeful that we'll be able to talk to the new government and open up more access for the women of Alberta and hopefully be able to bring those midwives back," she said.

Matheson says the province should pay midwives directly as it does doctors in order to allow women in Alberta to choose their health-care providers.

The association has requested a meeting with Health Minister Sarah Hoffman to discuss the issue.