The absence of proper infrastructure in Cyprus makes home births too risky, the nurses and midwives association (Pasynm) warned on Tuesday, as it urged the public to report concerning instances to police.

Deputy chairwoman of the midwives committee Maria Panagiotou told the Cyprus Mail that while home births are allowed, the lack of proper infrastructure surrounding them makes the risks too high, and as such, “midwives are urged” not to assist with them.

This is because if something were to go wrong, the midwife would have to bear the brunt of responsibility.

Nonetheless, one source who spoke to the Cyprus Mail on condition of anonymity said there have been instances when a woman seeking a registered midwife for a home birth, was told they do not take them on due to the risks, and then sought out an unregistered midwife to do it.

The source said similar allegations – that women have approached others offering midwifery services for home births – have been made. A report is expected to be filed to police soon on the matter, the Cyprus Mail understands.

The association warned that no registered midwife would take on a home birth “because this potentially exposes the woman, child and health professional to risks.”

On paper, home births are allowed provided the proper safety conditions can be established. This requires informing the health ministry, ambulance service and nursing units that can offer the necessary support in urgent cases, the association said.

Nonetheless, Panagiotou said that in practise, this infrastructure is absent in Cyprus.

She added that in other countries where home births are carried out, the necessary setup is in place to ensure an ambulance is available nearby, as well as blood units.

“Calling an ambulance if a home birth goes wrong and it taking 20 minutes to get can be deadly,” she said. As such, without the infrastructure to ensure the safety nets are in place in case of an emergency, midwives will not take on the risk.

Midwives must be registered and have a license to practice, the association stressed. “For everyone’s safety, we call on the public to be particularly careful and report any cases of the sort to police.”

As Cyprus faces high caesarean (C-sections) sections, the government has been on a drive to encourage natural childbirth – though this does not currently entail home births.

Figures released by the health ministry earlier this year show Cyprus’ C-section rates are almost double the EU average. In 2023, the percentage of C-sections in Cyprus reached 62.31 per cent, while the EU average remained below 30 per cent.

In July, the government announced it was introducing incentives to reduce C-sections, prepared with the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO).

A doctor who performs 30-40 per cent of uncomplicated C-sections will receive a five per cent reward on the total income of all deliveries performed. Meanwhile, a doctor who exceeds 40 per cent will receive a penalty on half of the income from the uncomplicated C-sections performed.