A new birth centre run by midwives will open in Ottawa this summer.
Deb Matthews, Ontario’s minister of health and long-term care, announced plans for The Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre on Thursday at the Midwifery Group of Ottawa on Carling Avenue.
The new centre, the second in Ontario, will allow mothers-to-be to give birth outside of hospitals under the supervision of a midwife.
“Today's announcement means that women in our community and their partners will now have greater choice when it comes to making health care decisions about what is best for their families,” said Yasir Naqvi, MPP Ottawa Centre, in a press release.
The province also hopes that the new centre will also free up hospital beds, making space for higher-risk births and infections.
“This new birth centre will provide high-quality care, but also better value for our health dollars by moving routine procedures from hospitals and into a specialized, not-for-profit clinic,” said Matthews, according to a press release.
The centre “will provide mothers-to-be and their families with a broad range of programs and services led by midwives, with special attention to meeting the needs of the Francophone population.”
“This is a historical moment for midwifery in Ontario. We are very excited for opportunity to offer high quality maternity care to women and their families in the Ottawa community," said Genevieve Gagnon, of East Ottawa Midwives.