Doulas Not Allowed To Provide Medical Services Only Emotional Support Says Health Minister

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KUALA LUMPUR: Individuals offering doula (birth companion) services are not allowed to provide medical services or advice involving pro-natural birthing and gentle birthing or risk action taken against them, warns the Health Ministry.
Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba (pic) said at the moment, doula services are not registered under any association or group and their type of services are not clearly outlined.
"If they want to provide midwifery services, they need to undergo proper training with guidelines as well as policies that must be adhered to," he told Dr Kelvin Yii (PH-Bandar Kuching) during Question Time on Tuesday (Nov 24).
Dr Yii had asked the Health Ministry to explain the government's plan to regulate doula services to ensure that there is no increase in unsafe births and maternal deaths.
Dr Adham said the doula's role is only to provide emotional support to mothers throughout the process of childbirth and confinement.
They are not allowed to replace trained midwives or give medical advice, he stressed.
Doula groups or unregistered midwives are not midwifery nurses as they are not registered under the Midwives Act 1966, added Dr Adham.
"Under subsection 14(1) of the act, any individual practising midwifery without registration shall be guilty of such offence and can be fined RM2,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year or both if found guilty," he said.
He noted that the ministry had taken various initiatives to improve safe childbirth including to distribute the Health director-general's circular titled "Steps taken to increase efforts to reduce unsafe births" on March 13,2014.
Dr Adham said for low-risk cases and mothers who choose to give birth at home, all related medical officers have been ordered to take care of the mother in line with the current standard operating procedures.
"This is to ensure that medical officers can act immediately if a case of emergency or complications occur during childbirth.
"Since 2012, the mother-friendly care component has also been introduced under the baby-friendly hospital initiative, which is an element to encourage mothers to have a birth companion in order to have emotional and physical support during childbirth," he said. - Star

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