The midwifery association should rise up in defense of Gereb and raise the voice
for the women
Benson Williesham Milimo,
Department of Nursing sciences,
School of Medicine,
Moi University,
P.O Box 4606-30100,
Eldoret-Kenya.
Tel:+254-722-583-478/+254734095676
SKYPE NAME: bensonmilimo
Email:[log in to unmask]
________________________________
From: Carolyn Roth <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, October 27, 2010 10:37:38 AM
Subject: Re: MIDWIFERY-RESEARCH Digest - 24 Oct 2010 to 25 Oct 2010 (#2010-177)
Dear Marianne, You are right when you say there are many layers to the situation
of Agnes Gereb.
You say:
"Agnes Gereb's name has been removed from the medical register - most probably
because other colleagues have had the power to remove the name of someone who
was clearly not in agreement with the general position in Hungary. This is
highly regrettable and the cause of reinstating her to the medical register is
one I would strongly support."
However, you call to withhold support from her when she is facing additional
draconian penalties and treatment apparently arising from being prohibited by
certain authorities to maintain her registration. There is a contradiction in
what you say and it is more than 'regrettable', it is surely something that all
those concerned with the care of childbearing women should be concerned about.
I also wonder whether the midwives' association tried to defend her right to
be registered?
When someone becomes the target of this kind of procedure, it is really not
possible to split off different bits of the issue to support or not support. If
the action against Agnes Gereb is successful my guess is that it will increase
the capacity of the state to prohibit women's choice, because the penalties for
protecting women's choice will have be strengthened by a successful prosecution
of Agnes Gereb. It worries me that the midwives' association perceive her as a
factor in the state's decision regarding home birth. It seems to me that the
state may well use her as an excuse for intransigence, but not supporting her at
this time in effect allows them to do that.
Clearly, it is also important to maintain regulation of practice, but it seems
to me that in this case regulation has been applied not in the interests of the
public, but rather to prohibitapproaches to women's care that powerful
professions do not approve of.
Carolyn Roth
Lead Midwife for Education
Keele University, School of Nursing& Midwifery
Clinical Education Centre
Newcastle Road
Stoke on Trent
ST4 6QG, UK
Tel. 01782 556698
On 26/10/2010 19:06, Marianne Mead wrote:
> Agnes Gereb's name has been removed from the medical register - most probably
>because other colleagues have had the power to remove the name of someone who
>was clearly not in agreement with the general position in Hungary. This is
>highly regrettable and the cause of reinstating her to the medical register is
>one I would strongly support.
