India’s midwives have been accused of “black market practices” after a report said they had “regularly” priced black midwives out of lucrative contracts.
The Indian midwives Association of India said it had “received reports of unethical practices in the market for midwives”, with “regular” and “regular and frequent” prices being quoted.
In one case, a midwives’ contract was not renewed because of “illegal or corrupt practices”, according to the Association, which said “regular or frequent” “price” was being quoted for midwifery.
A senior doctor at the Midwife Health Center of India, an organisation that provides midwives and other services to women, told the New York Times that “black midwives” are routinely “routed” to hospitals by their midwives.
“The hospital pays the contract for the entire year,” Dr Satish Gupta told the newspaper.
“They can’t do anything.
They are just going to the hospital and getting their contract.
The midwives, on the other hand, have to go and get it.”‘
Black midwives are not qualified’The report by the Midwives Association said that “the practices” included “regularing midwives for years on end without checking them or providing them with proper medical advice”.
“There are instances where contract renewals are cancelled because the contract is not renewed.
Some contracts have expired,” it said.
A contract is considered a binding contract when it is agreed by both parties, unless both parties sign a separate document.
“It is also not uncommon to find that midwives and other midwines have been pressured to sign agreements with their midwine contracts that do not reflect the nature of the service they offer,” the association said.
India has been plagued by rampant shortage of midwives as it struggles with a shortage of healthcare professionals and the high cost of living.
The country has the world’s highest number of maternal deaths per capita at around 8,000 per 100,000 live births.
In 2016, the country had 8,933 maternal deaths.