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Cambodia Celebrates Midwife World Day

Health experts said over the weekend that many pregnant women benefit from the knowledge of midwives for the safe delivery of their children, as the country celebrated World Midwife Day.

Midwives occupy a critical stratus in Cambodian society, where hospitals are few and far between and child birth often takes place in remote areas. Other experts cautioned, however, that birth through midwifery could be dangerous.

"As midwives united to solidify our own career expertise for a safe and clean delivery, today we are making people aware that when they go into labor, they must seek help at the hospital or look for an educated midwife," Dr. Ou Saroeum, president of the Cambodian Midwives Association, said.

Chun Chanthach, president of the Mothers and Enfants National Support Center, said babies delivered by traditional midwife faced high risks, as did their mothers. The center worked to ensure midwives were sending complicated cases to health centers immediately.