Central Queensland faces maternity crisis as 14 units shut down

Central Queensland is facing a “medical emergency” with 14 maternity units closed in one electorate and there are fears the situation may force young families to move away.

Fears are on the rise that the maternity crisis in Central Queensland will have a knock-on effect and cripple the workforce in rural and regional areas as young couples are too scared to live in towns without accessible health care.

Local MP Bryson Head has warned that his Callide electorate, with a population of 51,039, has seen maternity units in 14 hospitals close down. The last remaining service at Biloela went on bypass on August 25.

The nearest hospital outside the electorate is Gladstone and it, too, has been on bypass since July 8.

The drought of maternity services has put severe pressure on couples who moved into the area to fill jobs.

“Many couples moved to these communities with the understanding they had local maternity services but the Palaszczuk government has ripped them away. At a time when they should be getting ready for the most exciting time of their lives, they’re incredibly stressed about the prospect of giving birth on the side of the highway or in the back of an ambulance,” Mr Head said.

Maternity services at Gladstone Hospital are currently on bypass.

Callide has seven coal mines and six major dams. It has a significant gas industry, covering a portion of the Surat Basin and some of the Bowen Basin.

There is an extensive agricultural sector and two major coal-fired power stations (Kogan Creek and Callide) in the region.

Jesse Lehtinen from the Sunshine Coast took up a job as a teacher in Biloela a year ago. He lives in the town with his wife Lisa and son Rory. Lisa is 30 weeks pregnant and has decided she will go to family on the Sunshine Coast to have the baby.

“I face having my child without my husband’s support. We love Biloela and the people here but we may have reconsidered our move if we had known we would be left like this,” Mrs Lehtinen said.

Biloela’s Lisa Lehtinen with teacher husband Jesse and 20-month-old Rory.

“We can’t go to Gladstone as it’s on bypass and I was shocked to hear that the next option, Rockhampton Hospital, had lost three out of four of its staff obstetricians. It is almost unbelievable. Young couples won’t move to the regions if this is what is on offer,” she said.

The couple chose Biloela because it had a hospital.

“I think most young couples would consider health services a priority when deciding on relocating. We love this town and its people but it is has been stressful since the maternity services went on bypass,” Mr Lehtinen said.

Terry Slack has a young family and runs a sawmill in Gayndah. He said that it is not only the lack of maternity services that have the locals concerned but the dwindling numbers of GPs.

“Our amazing GP in town is leaving simply because he’s been doing it on his own for a long time. There has been no luck in securing a second full-time doctor so his workload has become unsustainable,” Mr Slack said.

“If a child in town has even a sore throat there will be nowhere to take them. Families need secure health services,” he said.

Member for Callide Bryson Head. Picture: Sarah Marshall

The president of the Australian Medical Association Maria Boulton said that the association’s research shows that good health services are a priority for families.

“Paediatric and maternity services are essential for young couples. The current situation is certainly a medical emergency,” she said.

Mr Head told The Sunday Mail that the government must turn around the maternity crisis without excuses.

“Labor claims these bypasses are temporary but that’s what they said about Chinchilla in 2019 and it’s still not operational. Mothers are sick of the excuses and the lack of information,” he said.