The Ministry of Health within the framework of the project "Creating new and innovative standard clinical procedures and their introduction into medical practice" led by a professional guarantor, Prof. MUDr. Juraj Payer, PhD., MPH, FRCP, introduces two long-term required and expected standards for unification and improvement of health care provision during pregnancy and childbirth.
One standard procedure, called "Prenatal care for low-risk (physiological) pregnancy', aims at a uniform procedure in the monitoring of physiological pregnancy, prevention and early detection of abnormalities suggesting the possible development of maternal complications as well as early detection of abnormalities in prenatal foetal development, proper preparation for delivery, breastfeeding, as well as preparation for parenthood and family support.
The aim of the second standard procedure, called "The care of the low-risk parent during childbirth', is a uniform procedure and procedure during follow-up and childbirth assistance in physiological (low-risk) mothers at the time of childbirth, 37+0 to 41+6, with one foetus in the position of the fetus in the longitudinal head without a history of caesarean section in the past.
Those standard procedures were established and approved by the Minister of Health, also on the basis of the established measures of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic in the Interim Implementation Report on Revisions of Expenditure 2021 of the Department Value for Money where the Department committed to improve the processes in obstetrics and improve the provision of health care during pregnancy and childbirth.
Our common goal is to gradually improve mother and child care, and we are systematically working with my team to make progress in this area as well. I thank the experts for putting these standards into practice that I believe will be helpful to doctors and health professionals in their work in the care of mother and child, said Minister of Health Vladimír Lengvarský.
In the course of the expert discussions, there has been long-term communication on the lack of a uniform approach to the provision of health care for the parent and the course of physiological birth. I consider the development of standard procedures by the members of the expert group on gynecology and obstetrics to be an important step, both for the parents themselves and for the medical staff, stated the State Secretary of MZ SR Kamil Száz.
In addition, the established standards should help to prevent the waste of resources for unnecessary performance, as an example of this being over-examining during pregnancy or a high proportion of caesarean cuts in non-risk pregnancies. By increasing the competences of midwives, a return of obstetric care to their hands can be envisaged, avoiding excess medical interventions in low-risk childbirth.
Public protection officer, Prof. JUDr. Mária Patakyová, PhD, has repeatedly called for an open dialogue on births, which, on the basis of a survey on respect for women's rights during childbirths, drew attention, for example, to violations of the right to privacy, the right to informed consent, the protection of human dignity and respect for physical and psychological integrity. MZ SR expects to increase the acceptance of the latest scientific knowledge in everyday obstetric practice and full respect of women's rights in the provision of health services.