Health Minister a no show at desperate mums’ maternity meeting

A raft of politicians turned down an invitation to meet the mothers of Gladstone on day 300 of the local hospital’s maternity bypass, with some sharing harrowing stories at the event.

Gabriella Martin shared her experience of a stillbirth during the Gladstone maternity bypass.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath turned down an invitation to meet the mothers of Gladstone on day 300 of the local hospital’s maternity bypass.

Ms D’Ath, who said she had a prearranged event in her Redcliffe electorate, was not the only no show for government officials who were invited to the community gathering held by local maternity advocates and mums with harrowing stories of bypass births.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk bounced back an automated email response to event organiser Jemma Manwaring, chief executive of the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service Emma McCahon had other commitments, the CCQHS Board did not respond and local MP Glenn Butcher sent two electorate officers.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“The lack of interest from the decision makers just blows the mind of the local community. The Health Minister has not met the local mothers since the bypass began. If she had shown up at the community event it would have meant the world to the mums, like Gabriella Martin who had a traumatic experience with the loss of her baby and many others with stories to tell,” Ms Manwaring from Save Gladstone Maternity Ward community said.

“We feel ignored. We have been given the idea that services will return next month. Is that real? We need to see the decision makers face-to-face,” Ms Manwaring said.

Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates, who was present at the community event on Thursday, and listened to the women’s stories said the health Minister had “turned her back on the women of Gladstone and now she won’t even face them”.

The group of supporters at the Save Gladstone Maternity community rally on May 5 at Lions Park.

“How is the Health Minister going to fix her maternity crisis if she won’t listen to the mums of Central Queensland who have been affected by the chaos and crises of her Government?

“While Queensland mums are travelling to different cities to give birth, the embattled Health Minister won’t even travel to Gladstone,” Ms Bates said.

Ms Manwaring said that while there had been some changes to the circumstances of the bypass where some mums, 37 weeks and over with no known risks, can birth in Gladstone but half of the mums still can’t birth there.

LNP leader David Crisafulli said it’s been 300 days of uncertainty, Russian roulette and

“A community of this size deserves the right to have a maternity service,” he said.

“I’ve met people who love living here and were contemplating having to move because they were due to have a child and they weren’t sure whether or not they should stay in the community

“That is not a choice that young families should have to make.

“We should be encouraging people to move to regional areas.

“In the modern era, women have the right to have a baby how when and where they choose.”

Mr Crisafulli called the plight of women like Gabriella Martin, who was forced to carry her dead baby home to Gladstone in a cardboard box after he was delivered at 17 weeks in Rockhampton hospital, “unacceptable”.

“There was not a dry eye yesterday when we listened to Gabriella’s story. I will continue to raise these issues because a city of 60,000 people should rightfully have access to Queenslands best health care,” he said.