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Carnarvon parents are grappling with significant financial and emotional burdens due to the suspension of birthing services at their local hospital. The closure has forced families to travel long distances, incur high costs, and endure the stress of being separated from their support systems during a critical period of life.
New parents say their mental and physical health are at risk after almost five years without birthing services at a key country hospital. Birthing services were suspended at Carnarvon Hospital, about 900 kilometres north of Perth, in February 2022 due to a shortage of midwives and obstetricians.
Travel and Financial Strain for Gascoyne Parents
As a result, Gascoyne parents have been forced to take extra leave from work, some travelling more than 1,000km to give birth. Carnarvon residents Tarlia Hill and Michael Wilkins are preparing to make that same journey to have their first child in Geraldton.
"I've already had quite a few complications with the pregnancy and have been very sick. " Despite a difficult pregnancy, Ms Hill said the lack of services in Carnarvon had affected her the most. One of her biggest battles was for her mother to be allowed to stay at the accommodation to support her through her first pregnancy.
"It makes me feel a bit guilty. Going away has just kind of ruined the whole first-baby experience.
"I've got a really good support system behind me, but I couldn't imagine what some of the other mums could be going through if they don't have the same support. " Having watched his sister wait months for reimbursement under WA's Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS), Mr Wilkins said he and his partner could not afford it. He said the birth was costing them about $10,000, and paying several thousand dollars more for accommodation up-front was not possible.
The couple have now had their accommodation paid in full.
"I've got no leave really behind me, and due to my position at work, I can't access parental leave or anything to support us while we're down there," Mr Wilkins said. "No-one should have to go away from their town to have a baby, and the option should really be everywhere for everyone.
Maternal Support Challenges During Pregnancy
" Jessica Halpin has already gone through the experience of travelling to have her baby, and was told she needed to go to Perth four weeks before her due date. With her family in the UK, she said she would have been more than $10,000 out of pocket without the space at RMH.
"After giving birth, with all your hormones changing and crashing, that was hard because I was quite anxious. " Ms Halpin said explaining her pregnancy to a different midwife at every appointment also took a toll. "Everyone reassured me, but to have someone who had known you throughout your pregnancy would have felt a lot better," she said.
Her partner had run out of parental leave and had to return to work, and she had to go through a difficult breastfeeding process without a lactation consultant in town.
"Having that in-person contact is just a lot better. It feels more personal and you can have a proper conversation without worrying if the wi-fi is dropping out.
WACHS Reacts to Birthing Service Suspension
" A WA Country Health Service (WACHS) spokesperson said in a statement it had supported 359 women from the region to give birth at a location of their choice since the suspension. The spokesperson said WACHS was committed to re-establishing birthing services, and was still actively recruiting to fill workforce gaps.
Premier Roger Cook told parliament in 2024 that mothers travelling from Carnarvon to give birth would not need to access the PATS scheme and the government would fully cover costs.
"Families are having to shell out thousands of dollars up front and wait months before they can claim that money back," Mr Love said. "I don't think they are trying very hard. If they were, they would have someone there. 1,700 days is a long time to run a recruitment process. "
Carnarvon Birthing Services Pregnancy Healthcare Rural Australia
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