The Family Health Bureau (FHB) of the Health Ministry said yesterday (14) that it is working to recruit 1,000 new midwives to address the issue of a shortfall in available personnel.

The move comes following observations made by medical trade unions and professional organisations that the national family and maternal healthcare system is facing a risk of collapse due to a dire shortage of midwives.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (14), the FHB Director Dr. Chithramalee de Silva explained that the situation is not as critical as shown by the media and unions affiliated with the service, noting that this matter does not have any adverse impact on maternal and family health. She also noted that 1,000 new trainee midwives who are to pass out next month (June) will be recruited as soon as possible as per the instructions of the ministry. Stating that the service is consistently provided by midwives all over the country despite many challenges, Dr. de Silva said that the ministry has addressed certain issues in the midwifery service even amidst the economic crises. Responding to certain allegations made by media reports that there is a shortage of 3,000 midwives, she said that there is only a shortage of 700 midwives according to the statistics of the ministry. She said that those vacancies will also be filled completely with the new recruits.

When contacted earlier this year, the President of the Government Midwifery Service Association, Devika Kodituwakku, told The Daily Morning that there is a dire shortage of midwives and that this purported act of negligence from the Government’s end could increase the existing exodus of officers in the midwifery services. She also claimed that the Government and the ministry have not conducted a proper cadre revision for years.