Development of midwifery services in Vojvodina

Abstract

This paper deals with the beginnings and development of midwifery services as well as schooling modalities and professional education of midwives in Vojvodina after gaining freedom from Turkish rule. Obstetrical services in the Military Border Region of Vojvodina were much better organized than in the civil, so-called "provincial" part. In the second half of the 18th century, law regulations were brought and only midwives with certificates of universities and training courses of special midwifery schools in bigger towns could practice midwifery. At that time most trained midwives in Vojvodina were of German nationality, because Serbs knew neither German nor Hungarian and could not get education in Vienna and Budapest. A century later the situation was practically the same. Dr. Svetozar Maksimović, Master of Obstetrics and the first director of the Maternity Hospital and a city physician in Novi Sad, was well aware that this town had no midwifery service. That is why on July 27, 1879 he submitted a suggestion for foundation of a "Government Training Institute for Midwives and Pregnant Women". Although this suggestion was not realized, it was the first attempt to establish a school for midwives in Novi Sad in Serbian language and was of great importance fir history of medicine in Vojvodina, especially in Novi Sad. Furthermore, it points to the fact that physicians in Novi Sad, especially Dr. Svetozar Maksimović, were informed about current medicine in the world. In the frame of public health special attention was paid to Women's Care Services concerning especially pregnancy, delivery and puerperium. However, it was not possible to realize his vision in Vojvodina at that time, due to insufficient number of trained midwives.