The Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health in Orahovića has launched a new midwifery degree. This makes the town a hub for education in three health fields: physiotherapy, dental medicine, and midwifery.
The first 26 students were welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Aleksandar Včev, Tanja Kovač Lukić, lecturer of the first course in the midwifery degree, and faculty members Rade Lukić and Damir Kiš. Dean Včev highlighted that this is a special day for the Faculty.
According to Dean Včev, the programme, along with Zagreb, is the only one in the continental part of Croatia. He pointed out that the programme is essential in the healthcare system and a scarce profession that is in high demand. He added that it fits into the demographic renewal of the country. He noted that the students are women who are employed, which is why the course takes place in the afternoon.
Dean Vč stated that the degree is extremely important for the town of Orahovića and the surrounding municipalities. The idea, he said, is that the town of Orahovića and each municipality in the area, namely Čačinci, Zdenci and Crnac, have their own midwives so that healthy pregnant women can be identified from those who need to go to hospital due to problems. In the future, the aim is to apply the Dutch model, which means that some women can give birth at home, with high-quality care provided by midwives after they have completed their degree.
Tanja Kovač Lukić is a lecturer in anatomy, the first course in the midwifery degree in Orahovića. She stated that she is proud to be part of this great story in Orahovića and that her course is the first in the midwifery degree in Orahovića. The degree is three years long, and after they complete their studies, the students become first-degree midwives. It consists of a first basic part and a second professional part.
The faculty has provided all the conditions for the new students, including the possibility of online lectures. Kovač Lukić stated that the lectures are designed to be in person, but a hybrid model of teaching will be offered, where students go to lectures in person, but at the same time, the online platform is used.
Dubravka Mahček, a full professor of physiotherapy in Orahovića, will be one of the lecturers in the second year of the degree. She stated that her course is social and health legislation, and that she will provide students with new knowledge of legislation and regulations so that they can better assert themselves in the labour market. It is a great pleasure to work in Orahovića, a beautiful town, she said, and she is confident that the new midwifery students will enjoy it here.
