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Vol 21 No 39, October 9, 2023
Rural birth units to shut Richard Rennie
NEWS
Health
W
AIKATO rural mothers face the risk that their babies will be “born on the side of the road” after the planned closure of two birthing centres serving large areas. Late last month staff and mothers-to-be at Birthcare Huntly in north Waikato and at Waihi Lifecare birthing unit in eastern Waikato learnt the centres will be shut before year’s end. This leaves some women who are due to give birth facing at least a two-hour trip to the next nearest centre, Waikato Hospital in Hamilton. Bernie Miers, lead maternity carer at Birthcare Huntly, has hit back at claims made by owner Evolution Healthcare that the
closure is due to staffing shortages and a declining number of parents and whānau accessing the services. The operators claimed that the unit had seen only 40 parents use the facility so far this year – and that only six women went into labour. “We have pulled 12 months of numbers and they do not match up with that,” Miers said. “They said only six went into labour and 40 used the facility. I have 40 births recorded here and another 20 transferred from here to Waikato Hospital, and 180 parent days spent here from October 1 last year to now,” she said. She acknowledged that a shortage of midwives is a national issue but said it is not one that applies to Huntly. Continued page 3
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‘There’ll be babies born on roadsides’ Huntly midwife Bernie Miers, pictured here with Waingaro newborn Peter, says rural women in Waikato will be hit hard by the closure of the Birthcare Huntly centre.
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