Gynecologists oppose midwives

A few days ago, the midwives of the Collective (1), on strike for more than two months, defended themselves in a press release for calling for work stoppages. They reiterated, in an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister, their wish “to integrate the status” of hospital practitioner. But today, thanks to real progress on the PH status yesterday at the negotiating table, the midwives of the Collective now say they are partly appeased. However, in the other midwifery camp, that of the large trade union centers (FO, CGT, SUD, CFDT, etc.) have now deplored “the lack of a clear position of the Minister regarding the maintenance of midwives. women in the hospital public service, and its refusal to have salary negotiations before the end of the work of the committees, by the end of March 2014. “The inter-union intends to meet” at the beginning of the year to consider actions. So, are further abusive work stoppages to be feared? Faced with this muscular mode of action, some doctors are already worried about the radicalization of the movement.

In a press release posted on December 20, the National College of French Gynecologists and Obstetricians (CNGOF) first of all recalls that it supports, on certain points of their demands, the midwifery movement. But the CNGOF specifies that it cannot support “a movement that would endanger the security of women and births. “He adds that this is the case when midwives” use a massive and abusive stoppage of work as a means of escaping requisitions. For this reason, the CNGOF affirms to disassociate itself clearly from this mode of claim and action.

And faced with this conflict which is bogged down, with the decision of the minister to postpone its final decision to March, the National Federation of Colleges of Medical Gynecology drives the point home. The FNCGM is now announcing that it strongly opposes government plans to entrust the care of women’s health to midwives. She also rejects the possibility for women to find “first resort” consultations with Midwives. Finally, the Federation’s last blow, according to the FNCGM, “midwives cannot have the competence, after 4 years of mideutics studies, to differentiate a normal situation from a pathological situation, whether in a situation. first gynecological consultation, contraceptive choice, management of any pathology and gynecological follow-up. “

For all these reasons, the Federation urges the Minister of Health to make the courageous choices that are necessary for tomorrow “by refusing this famous first resort” to the profession of midwife “insufficiently competent to carry out such responsibilities. ”
In conclusion, the Federation especially wishes to alert women to this “low noise” measure which would very quickly lead to dramatic situations. The FNCGM is therefore launching a petition which is online on the Federation’s website (www.fncgm.com) to support this request.
In reaction, we can already imagine that these professionals will not fail to remind these gynecologists that midwives perform all the acts of normal pregnancy monitoring on a daily basis: ultrasound, preparation for childbirth, monitoring …