On the International Day of the Midwife, Fernandez
Hospital celebrated the power and impact of midwifery through a series of on ground
and digital initiatives held over two days, 4th and 5th May, across its facilities, under
the theme “This Is How We Care.”

This year’s celebration brought to life Fernandez’s distinctive model of collaborative
care, where obstetricians and midwives work with mutual respect and trust, along
with allied specialists when required.

Across all facilities, dedicated Midwife Stations were set up to help families
understand the role of midwives. Visitors participated in interactive puzzles
and games, guided tours of the midwife led birthing rooms, and accessed
educational materials on midwifery care, enabling them to make informed
choices about childbirth.

A digital storytelling series further amplified these efforts, featuring doctors,
midwives, and mothers, alongside virtual tours of midwife led units, offering a deeper
understanding of how collaborative maternity care is delivered.

Proven Outcomes from Collaborative Model of Care
At the Midwife Led Unit (MLU) set up in 2019 in Bogulkunta, 2,262 women were
cared for through this collaborative model, resulting in:

 94% vaginal birth rate (including spontaneous and assisted births)
 Only 6% caesarean section rate within the MLU pathway, demonstrating
effective clinical selection, continuous labour support, and reduced
unnecessary interventions

These outcomes underscore how collaborative care can improve birth experiences
while maintaining clinical safety.

Leading Midwifery in India
Fernandez Foundation has played a pioneering role in introducing and strengthening
professional midwifery in Telangana and India. Its midwifery journey began with a
pilot in 2011, evolving into a structured initiative focused on training, advocacy, and
system level integration.

Through the Fernandez Midwifery Initiative, the Foundation has worked closely with
government partners, including the Government of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,

to build a skilled midwifery workforce and embed midwifery within public health
systems.

The Foundation’s education programmes, including the Nurse Practitioner in
Midwifery (NPM) and Nurse Practitioner Midwifery Educator (NPME) pathways, are
designed to prepare nurses with advanced skills to provide high quality maternal and
newborn care across all levels of the health system.

To date, Fernandez has trained over 81 midwifery educators (NPMEs) from Andhra
Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal,
Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and 353 professional midwives from Telangana, many
of whom are now working across hospital and public health settings, helping expand
access to respectful and evidence based maternity care.

“Midwifery is not an alternative, it is essential,” said Dr Evita Fernandez,
Chairperson and Managing Director, Fernandez Foundation. “Our model
brings together the strengths of obstetrics and midwifery to create a system
that is safe, collaborative, and centred on the woman. This is how we strive to
care for every woman, every birth.”

Through its International Day of the Midwife initiatives, Fernandez Hospital
aimed to:

 Increase awareness of collaborative care models
 Highlight the role of midwives in improving maternal and newborn outcomes
 Encourage women and families to make informed, empowered choices