Ecuador addresses cultural issues for pregnant women

Abstract

Last year the founders of Intercultural Maternity-a private clinic in the Amazonian province of Sucumbios Ecuador-faced a dilemma. They had found a donor for their much needed operating room but had no space for it. They had to choose between rejecting the money and adapting their delivery room to accommodate both. They chose the latter. Faced with criticism over their perceived choice of modern medical care over traditional models of care Intercultural Maternitys president Darly Quinonez said: "There is no reason why we cannot have both: if our client needs an emergency operation she can have one; if she wants to give birth according to her cultural needs and preferences she can do so." This like other initiatives in Ecuador responds to a pressing need to consider cultural differences in a small but ethnically and culturally diverse country. Afro-Ecuadorians several indigenous nationalities (mainly Kichwa but also Cofan Siona and ten other nationalities) and non-indigenous people coexist in the equally varied geography of the highlands coast Galapagos and Amazon region. (excerpt)