Pregnant Indigenous women in the London-area will soon have access to culturally appropriate child and maternity care.
Deputy Premier and London North Centre MPP Deb Matthews announced on Thursday two new Aboriginal midwives will be hired at the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC).
The two new hires will provide culturally safe primary health care to expectant and new Indigenous mothers in London and the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. Prior to starting, they will be required to complete Indigenous cultural safety training and be orientated on SOAHAC's holistic, integrated model of care.
"All of us have learned a lot through truth and reconciliation and one of the things that we learned is that there are excellent traditions that haven't been honoured for a long, long time. This is very high quality care but care that is offered differently," said Matthews.
The two new positions are being funded through a $2-million investment previously announce by the province for six Aboriginal centres, including SOAHAC.
Brian Dokis, executive director of SOAHAC, believes the addition of the midwives will help grow the centre's clientele.
"Every time we add a service, whether it's mental health, traditional healing, or primary care it brings more clients to us. We are looking at adding dental services as well," said Dokis. "People are looking for more of a one stop health care provider. So they are leaving their sole physician or sole provider and coming to a team environment that is culturally sensitive to their needs."
Currently, more than 10,000 Aboriginal people rely on SOAHAC's services annually.
Laurie Jacobs, who has been a Aboriginal midwife since 2001, said women are more likely to seek prenatal care from a midwife who understands and respects their cultural beliefs.
"They feel like they can talk to us about things they didn't feel comfortable sharing with their other practitioners, such as use of traditional herbal medicines. We guide and teach them what is safe and what could be a potential risk," said Jacobs. "We understand what they are going through because we live it. We are part of the community that we serve."
Hiring for the two new Aboriginal midwives will begin next month.