Wednesday 1 June 2016

Midwifery Workforce Development in Nepal: Why there is too slow and sluggish?

Something fishy is going on as I realised regarding Professional Midwives Development in Nepal. I didn't expect situation has not that much progress and move forward as I expected after I left Nepal in 2011 to pursue my study. Reading status in the facebook and also talking with concerned professional in emails and else I thought Midwifery Education will start on 2014 before my arrival to Nepal after completion of my study. But my assumption was completely wrong and now I realised that something fishy going on in the process of producing midwifery workforce in attaining the Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals including promoting Respectful Maternity Care in Nepal as Human Rights in Childbirth. 
I strongly realised something fishy going on especially while discussing with Nursing Chief Administrator, Ishwori Devi Shrestha​ who has core responsibility from the Ministry of Health (MoH) to executive policies, plans and strategies related to Midwifery Workforce Development in Nepal as per the National Policy on Skilled Birth Attendants 2006. To accelerate the activities systematically, effectively and efficiently I have been keep suggesting Nursing Chief Administrator, Ishwori Devi Shrestha regarding to develop the "Strategic Directions for Professional Midwives" that I also informed to MIDSON President, Kiran Bajracharya​ on 15 May 2016. Then Prof. Kiran told me that Ministry of Health has already developed "Strategic Directions for Professional Midwives" in 2012 with the technical and financial support of the UNFPA, ICM and MIDSON. 
I suggested her to share it which I got on 15 May. Yesterday when I met Ishwori madam I told her about the Strategic Directions for Professional Midwives that MoH has developed in 2012 then she told me that "it was not developed by MoH and has never ever owned it. Just the MoH name has written on the front page of the Strategic Directions for Professional Midwives". Now I realised it indeed because to develop this strategy there was the workshop organised on 14-18 May 2012 during this time I was not in Nepal but I have noticed that my name is also written as a participant.I was informed by Ishwori mam that even from Nepal Nursing Council by then President, Daya Laxmi Vaidya didn't join the event but her name is written on it. This doesn't seem professional and very much fishy. It is not appropriate to write anyone name in the official document without taking consent from the person who didn't take part and also from the authorised body if they don't take ownership of the produced document with great investment of mind, money, materials and muscle. 
I arrived in Nepal on 1 April 2015 after completion of my study then due to earthquake I involved actively in earthquake relief activities in my own initiatives whole last year. So, I didn't have much time to understand WHY midwifery workforce development process is very much slow and sluggish. But now I realised that there is still not favourable and healthy coordinative collaborative effort between/among responsible institutions, persons, people and professionals i.e. regulatory body, education, association and policy maker as well as executor and consumer (MoH). Still there is a huge BLAME GAME politics going on among/between us based on an individual interest rather than national interest as per the MoH policies, plans and strategies in improving sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health in achieving national and international goals as committed.

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