Dozens of midwives demonstrated today in front of the town hall in Hoogeveen to express their dissatisfaction with a new financing system in maternity care. According to them, the plans of Minister Ernst Kuipers of Public Health are at the expense of the independence of the obstetrician. The choice of pregnant women would also be compromised and hospitals would be given too much power.
The midwives fear that pregnant women will no longer be able to decide for themselves where they want to give birth. One of these people is Esther Dijkstra, who is not only a midwife but also expecting a third baby. “I would like to give birth at home, but the new financing system means that freedom of choice is disappearing. I find that ridiculous, because I also choose my own GP and dental practice. So I also want to decide for myself where I am going to give birth.”
Under the new system, obstetric care will also be moved to the hospital. As a result, separate midwifery practices would disappear. This means that Dijkstra and her colleagues will lose their jobs. “That’s partly what it’s about,” she refers to the demonstration that is going on. “We protest for our own future, but the main thing revolves around obstetric care, because we do the best for the pregnant woman.”
Watch in this video how Drenthe midwives took action today (Text continues below the video)