Chief midwives resign

The dispute on how the National Hospital’s maternity ward should be structured is continuing. In November, the midwives took industrial action, and now two midwives in leading positions have resigned.

One of them is Sigrid Christensen, the chief midwife of the Faroe Islands, and the other is Lea Hoste, the chief midwife at the National Hospital’s maternity ward.

SEE ALSO Midwife strike reaches critical stage

Annika Hoydal, the head of the Midwives’ Union, says she does not know the personal reasons behind the resignations, but she points out that the chief midwives have been under great pressure in recent years.

“They have been caught between a rock and a hard place, with pressure not only from midwives and doctors but also from the political system, and that is not an easy situation to be in,” says Hoydal.

SEE ALSO Midwife strike called off

The role as chief midwife ties in with the ongoing problem of structuring the maternity ward in a way that satisfies all sides.

“There has been a high staff turnover, including changes in the hospital management and new politicians, and it has generally been difficult to define the role of a midwife,” says Hoydal.

Sigrid Christensen was dismissed from her job in 2017, but the dismissal was later reversed, and she returned to her job last year.

Translated by prosa.fo