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Tribune News NetworkDohaMariama Lilei Feika, director of Nursing and Midwifery for the Women and Newborn Division at Al Khor Hospital, took part in the global ‘Midwives in Focus’ challenge’ and was chosen as the winner from participants from countries around the world. The ‘Midwives in Focus’ initiative aims to address issues affecting midwifery, challenge perceptions and increase the value placed upon the midwifery profession on a global scale.Al Khor Hospital continually strives to deliver high-quality maternal healthcare services reflected by its professional staff who are committed to the best care and wellbeing of the mothers and their babies. Acting Chief Nursing Officer at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) Mariam Nooh Al-Mutawa expressed her delight at this achievement of one of the senior nursing and midwifery professionals working in the organisation.She said, “As one of the few senior midwives employed to develop a midwifery-led model of care, Mariama has demonstrated an admirable passion for midwifery services that will help to make a real difference to the maternal health of women and their babies. Our vision is to support a highly capable workforce of nurses in Qatar who will help shape the future of our healthcare sector.”“Qatar has been committed to the global Nursing Now principles, a global campaign run in collaboration with the International Council of Nurses and the World Health Organization (WHO), which aims to raise the status and profile of nursing worldwide and empower nurses to take their place at the heart of tackling 21st Century health challenges. Nursing Now Qatar, the Qatar chapter of Nursing Now, is the first of its kind in the Arabian Gulf region. This international accolade will resonate locally and build on the work we have done to promote the recognition of nurses and midwives as important, licensed healthcare professionals who can work autonomously and collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to deliver high-quality care,” added Mutawa. The Nursing Now Challenge Global Solutions Initiative (NNCGSI) is a global initiative that offers employers, universities and colleges the opportunity to be part of a global movement to support nurses and midwives as leaders and advocates in health. In January this year, NNCGSI, in partnership with John Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO), launched the midwifery-themed Nursing Now Challenge. Midwives around the world were challenged to develop a functional solution to a known challenge faced by midwives today based on one of the four key recommendations in the State of the World’s Midwifery report (SoWMY).Mariama is the director of Nursing and Midwifery for the Women and Newborn Division at Al Khor Hospital and is currently working in an obstetric-led environment where she has established the first midwifery-led vaginal birth after Cesarean section clinic (VBAC). She leads group antenatal education sessions for women and works in collaboration with other senior midwives to develop midwifery-led initiatives and projects in Qatar.Mohammed Al Jusaiman, HMC’s deputy chief of the General Hospitals Group and chief executive officer of Al Khor Hospital, explained that the hospital’s motto is to provide a positive environment for staff to develop themselves professionally and focus on patient-centred care.He said, “Al Khor Hospital’s leadership team supports dedicated individuals like Mariama to develop services that are designed for the patients and visitors who need them. Having one of our team win this international award is gratifying for all and will encourage other young nurses and midwives in Qatar to strive to be one of the best among their peers.”Fatma MOH’D A.S. Al Komah, assistant executive director of Nursing and Midwifery for Al Khor Hospital, said: “As one of the few senior midwives employed to develop a midwifery-led model of care, Mariama has demonstrated an admirable passion for midwifery services. Her work and that of the team here at Al Khor Hospital help to make a real difference to the maternal health of women and their babies.”Mariama expressed her pride to have been selected as the winner of the prestigious Midwives in Focus NNCGSI award.She said, “My passion for midwifery stems from a long tradition in this noble vocation. My mother has been a midwife for many years in Sierra Leone and I started delivering babies under her supervision as a teenager. I have always wanted to make a difference in the lives of childbearing women and women’s health locally, nationally and internationally and this award is a testimony to the values instilled by my mother and the professional training I have pursued over many years from accredited institutions. I am delighted to be able to apply my knowledge and expertise here in Al Khor Hospital, where the leadership team has been incredibly supportive.”“I aim to help promote the role of the midwife as a valuable birthing partner in a woman’s journey through pregnancy, giving birth and the year after birth when families often need practical advice and support in dealing with the often complex experiences of having a baby. I wish to help the next generation of midwives in developing their skills and to raise awareness of the benefits of midwife-led care,” added Mariama.
