The CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale cannot meet approximately half of the requests for follow-up care with a midwife in its region [2].

This shortage leaves a substantial number of families in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec without access to their preferred prenatal and birth services. The gap in care forces patients to seek alternatives or navigate the healthcare system without the specialized support provided by midwives.

Data from the previous calendar year indicates that only 42% of midwife service requests received a complete follow-up [1]. Other reports from the region suggest the health authority struggles to answer roughly 50% of the requests for follow-up care [2].

The shortage is attributed to insufficient capacity and resources within the CIUSSS [1]. Because the regional health authority cannot scale its workforce or infrastructure to match demand, a large portion of the population remains unable to access these services.

Midwifery provides a specific model of care that differs from traditional obstetric paths. When the system fails to provide these services, it limits the autonomy of expectant parents in choosing how they manage their pregnancy and delivery. The current resource deficit ensures that the majority of requests cannot be fulfilled by the state health system.

“The CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale cannot meet approximately half of the requests for follow-up care with a midwife.”

The inability of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale to meet nearly half of midwifery requests highlights a systemic failure in Quebec's regional healthcare distribution. When specialized care like midwifery is unavailable, it increases pressure on general obstetric wards and reduces the availability of low-intervention birth options for families.