Will it be worth having private cover without obstetric care, asks Matthew Calanna

Families with private health cover start making the trek to Townsville to have their babies as private obstetricians in Cairns continue to have their hands tied.

Far North families with private health cover have begun making the tough decision to temporarily relocate to Townsville for their deliveries as private obstetricians remain locked out of the Cairns Hospital.

Matthew Calanna and his wife, who are expecting their first child in the next few weeks, will be heading to Townsville Hospital, with the Cairns Private Hospital to shut its maternity services from November 1.

Their private obstetrician Dr Anusha Lazzari and colleague Dr Liz Jackson are currently fighting for the ability to deliver their patients’ babies at Cairns Hospital after that date.

Their approaches have so far been rebuffed by the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, though Health Minister Shannon Fentiman on Tuesday stated the CHHHS was “working closely” with Drs Jackson and Lazzari “in relation to private obstetricians practising within public hospitals”.

Ms Fentiman has repeatedly said the decision to grant private admitting rights for a practitioner at any public hospital needed consideration of a number of factors.

Mr Calanna said travelling to Townsville was “a big inconvenience” but the only way he and his wife could get the model of care they signed up for, where a single obstetrician cared all the way through.

“We were in a twilight zone and decided to make this decision to have certainty around things,” he said.

Unity Cairns Division 7 candidate Matthew Calanna. Picture: Brendan Radke

“I’m a pharmacist by trade, I do understand how communication can have little holes when things are passed from one to another point of care.

“As health professionals we are trying to limit the risk and have one obstetrician all the way through.”

He said he was concerned about the flow on effects a lack of a private maternity service would have on the Far North, including shortages in specialties.

“When we have a pretty big regional centre and willing, capable people who want to help, it only makes sense women in this day and age should be able to have their baby the way they want it, with the care they’d like to have.”

Couples of child-bearing age primarily used private health cover for obstetric service, he said, and it was required to hold private cover for 12 months before being eligible for birthing services – something him and his wife had planned for.

Private health insurance industry peak body Private Healthcare Australia’s (PHA) chief executive Dr Rachel David said the situation in Cairns was difficult and disappointing for the community but provided assurance that health fund products covering travel and accommodation were in place.

“There have been a lot of issues that have made the provision of private obstetrics difficult over the last few years, and unfortunately, not a lot of those issues are within the control of health funds,” she said.

According to her, one of the main reasons people had turned away from private obstetrics was the high out of pocket costs against the non-hospital component, which was managing pregnancy.

Originally published as Will it be worth having private cover without obstetric care, asks Matthew Calanna