Iran Press / Iran News: Speaking at a special ceremony on the occasion of World Midwifery Day held at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, and attended by thousands of midwives from all over the country, Saeed Namaki the Health and Medical Education Minister in an interview with Iran Press on Saturday emphasized that out of 22 countries in the East Mediterranean region, Iran is considered as one of the most advanced countries medically, and Iran's medical and healthcare system is indeed a very advanced role model for other regional countries to try to copy.
Iran's Health Minister went on to add: "Our midwives are central to our healthcare system. They play a very vital role in reducing mortality during pregnancy, in reducing infant mortality (mortality among newly-borns) and also in eliminating / combating umbilical-cord .... which is one of the principal causes of death during pregnancy, and also in promoting correct dietary and nutritional practices particularly among pregnant-mothers. Midwives have played a key role in promoting the health of expectant mothers, and newly-born babies, and promoting post-natal and pre-natal care."
The Health Minister, Namaki added: "As far as the recent floods are concerned, I travelled to nine provinces throughout the country and saw first-hand how midwives went knee-deep in mud in flood-hit regions to get to pregnant women, and ensure the health of expectant mothers and their soon-to-be-born babies."
Elsewhere in his comments Saeed Namaki praised Iranian midwives for the sacrifices they have made and for the great care they have provided to pregnant women, and emphasized that they are doing a great job.
Turning to on-the-job training and education of midwives, Health Minister Namaki said: "To train our midwives -- so that they can provide even higher-quality services to their patients -- we are using tele-education and tele-medicine techniques to train our midwives at health centres, clinics and hospitals throughout the country."
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