Most women look forward to the birth of their baby with feelings of anticipation as well as excitement. But for many women in the wider Gladstone and Biloela regions, this excitement is tempered with feelings of anxiety and fear.
Federal Member for Flynn, Colin Boyce said for many years, the provision of medical services to rural and regional Queensland has become less and less, so much so that even basic services such as giving birth is not being met.
“The Gladstone Hospital Maternity Unit has been on bypass for 250 days and the Biloela Hospital Maternity Unit has been on bypass for over 200 days,” Mr Boyce said.
“I have been inundated with horror stories from pregnant women that at the last-minute had to be bypassed and travel well over an hour to give birth to their child in Rockhampton.
“I released a petition on August 18 2022, drawing attention to the decline in the availability of maternity and other medical services at the Gladstone Hospital and the negative impact this has had on the wider Gladstone region and surrounding areas.
“The petition called on the Premier the Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk and Health Minister the Hon Yvette D’Ath to provide adequate funding, resources, and qualified medical professionals to the Gladstone Hospital to deliver maternity and other medical services.
“This petition received mass support across the region with over 3,000 signatures from women and their families.”
Mr Boyce said this is all part of the ongoing health debacle that the Queensland Labor Government is not addressing and is something they do want to address.
“The Queensland Labor Government’s inaction is a disgrace,” Mr Boyce said.
“I assure the Gladstone and Biloela region residents that I will not become silent until the maternity units are restored.”
