25-04-2023, 11:58 AM
As far as I'm aware, every other city of a similar size to CHCH has at least one birthing centre but there's presently just the one here & despite a petition with over 30 thousand signatures, the idiot bureaucrats have decided we don't need one & it must close.
Women can after all give birth at what is referred to as CHCH Women's hospital but they will be chucked out within hours of giving birth & sent miles away to either Rolleston birthing centre (south of CHCH) or north to Rangiora, neither of which is ideal especially for first time mums.
it could also be extremely dangerous under some circumstances, but then that apparently doesn't seem to matter. While there will eventually be another birthing centre opened in the city 'later this year' there's no certainty about when that might be.
The concern is that its all rather vague & there's always the chance that it may never happen.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/4885...ll-through
Hospital chief executive Blair Roxborough said it had not been able to agree to a contract extension with the health agency.
"Today we have advised our maternity staff and the Midwives Union MERAS that we are sadly closing our maternity centre and disestablishing all maternity related roles."
The nationwide midwife shortage had meant the hospital had struggled to maintain consistent, safe staffing levels, Roxborough said.
[b]Alternatives distant from communities - midwives' union[/b]
But she said news of the unit's closure was sad and it would have been ideal to keep it open until Te Whatu Ora's new central city primary birthing unit was open, which was expected to be late this year.
St George's currently provided the only primary birthing unit in Christchurch, with the nearest alternative half an hour away, by car, Ovens said.
"There are other options but for Christchurch-based families, they are away from their community which is not ideal for women or midwives."
Women can after all give birth at what is referred to as CHCH Women's hospital but they will be chucked out within hours of giving birth & sent miles away to either Rolleston birthing centre (south of CHCH) or north to Rangiora, neither of which is ideal especially for first time mums.
it could also be extremely dangerous under some circumstances, but then that apparently doesn't seem to matter. While there will eventually be another birthing centre opened in the city 'later this year' there's no certainty about when that might be.
The concern is that its all rather vague & there's always the chance that it may never happen.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/4885...ll-through
"Christchurch's St George's Hospital maternity unit is closing in June, at the end of its contract with Te Whatu Ora.
Rata Midwives organised a petition backed by 30,000 people to try to stop the centre from closing last year.Hospital chief executive Blair Roxborough said it had not been able to agree to a contract extension with the health agency.
"Today we have advised our maternity staff and the Midwives Union MERAS that we are sadly closing our maternity centre and disestablishing all maternity related roles."
The nationwide midwife shortage had meant the hospital had struggled to maintain consistent, safe staffing levels, Roxborough said.
[b]Alternatives distant from communities - midwives' union[/b]
But she said news of the unit's closure was sad and it would have been ideal to keep it open until Te Whatu Ora's new central city primary birthing unit was open, which was expected to be late this year.
St George's currently provided the only primary birthing unit in Christchurch, with the nearest alternative half an hour away, by car, Ovens said.
"There are other options but for Christchurch-based families, they are away from their community which is not ideal for women or midwives."
Rata Midwives midwife Sheena Ross told Checkpoint she and others who had signed the petition were "incredibly sad" and "disappointed" that the hospital felt it could not heed what the community wanted.
"We're still reeling, we're reeling from this decision. There's going to be a lot of women and a lot of babies that are going to have their choices removed."
in order to be old & wise, you must first be young & stupid. (I'm still working on that.)
