Introduce post-miscarriage recovery ward 'with no further delay': Women's lobby
The Malta Women's Lobby said the current system 'retraumatises women'
A Women’s lobby expressed its disappointment at the lack of a separate hospital ward for women experiencing a miscarriage, despite a government promise for such a ward two years ago.
In a statement, the Malta Women's Lobby demanded that a recovery ward for postpartum care and post-miscarriage or stillbirth care should be introduced “with no further delay”.
The lobby said it is disappointed that women who miscarry have no option but to share a ward with other women who were welcoming their new-born babies.
“Whilst acknowledging that discussions and consultations about miscarriage leave are welcome, the Malta Women’s Lobby hopes that this is not just another pointless PR exercise, as was the case when the 2022 announcement of separate wards at Mater Dei for women suffering through a miscarriage, and upon which no progress has been made since,” the statement read.
The topic of a lack of a specific ward for women experiencing pregnancy problems, such as miscarriage, was highlighted during a Miscarriage Leave consultation conference on Wednesday.
A dedicated ward in Mater Dei Hospital for women facing pregnancy complications was announced in 2022 but no further news about any progress on this has been made since then.
“The current system retraumatises women. It sends a clear message: your grief is invisible, your pain is an afterthought, and your experiences don’t matter enough to be met with empathy in policy.”
The lobby demanded that mandatory bereavement sensitivity training is given to hospital staff and mental health support is embedded into care for pregnancy loss.
“A national standard of care that acknowledges the emotional trauma of miscarriage and stillbirth is put into practice,” the statement read.
The lobby said the demands were the "bare minimum" in terms of proposed measures designated to support women who are navigating grief and trauma.
"Without a serious and comprehensive Women’s Health strategy, we will continue to see little change. Ultimately, lack of progress in this regard is detrimental, not only to the wellbeing of women, but to society as a whole."