The Ministry of Health and Welfare is planning to push for a nationwide perinatal holistic healthcare system that would designate at least one major hospital in each city and county to provide perinatal care, a Central News Agency report said.
The ministry would also set up “open hospitals,” where clinic physicians could use the equipment and be assisted by hospital staff to deliver babies.
It is good news that more resources are to be allocated to obstetrics departments.
For many years, Taiwan Women’s Link has been pushing for the establishment of hospitals with open obstetrics departments. The main purpose is to meet women’s expectations of thorough and comprehensive care provided by the same physician throughout the whole pregnancy, from regular tests to delivery.
The physician conducting the checkups during a woman’s pregnancy has a better grasp of her health and medical condition. Having the same physician deliver her baby would make the woman feel more secure.
A survey conducted by Taiwan Women’s Link found that more than 90 percent of the public expect the physician doing the checkups to be the same person delivering the baby.
However, having delivery-room equipment and staff is a heavy burden for obstetrics clinics, which is why an increasing number of clinics only handle prenatal visits and have stopped delivering babies.
Fewer clinics handling deliveries limit the choice of physicians willing to deliver babies, as most of them have to remain in hospitals.
If a pregnant woman chooses to go to a local clinic for prenatal visits because it is more accessible and familiar, but goes to a hospital to give birth, feelings of insecurity and uncertainty could arise during the delivery, as the physician and the woman might not be familiar with each other.
Most women who want to have the same physician for prenatal checkups and delivery would have to choose a hospital. However, compared with clinics, prenatal visits at hospitals are time-consuming and could expose pregnant women to higher risks of infection.
While pushing for open hospitals with obstetrics departments, Taiwan Women’s Link met with different parties and found that hospitals are not very willing to participate in such a plan.
From a hospital’s perspective, the incentives are not very attractive. It is hard to think of any positive effects, but questions of how to charge delivery fees, coordinate staff and determine responsibilities when medical disputes arise immediately come to mind.
During discussions with the ministry, Taiwan Women’s Link proposed that open hospitals be established first at public hospitals. Once their effects become clearer, the government could convince private hospitals to join.
The purpose of establishing a model for hospitals with open obstetrics departments is to allow the authorities to make systemic regulations and adjustments to protect physicians’ rights and enhance hospitals’ willingness to become open, so as to meet women’s expectations of having the same physician perform their prenatal checkups and delivery.
The model could further change the way people visit doctors and facilitate medical treatment classification, which the government has been striving for.
Hopefully “open hospitals” will start with obstetrics departments and then extend to other departments, eventually becoming the norm in the nation’s medical system.
Chen Su-fang is deputy secretary-general of Taiwan Women’s Link.
Translated by Chang Ho-ming
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