Mackay Hospital and Health Service remains committed to offering the Birth Centre model of care for women.
Closure of the Birth Centre is a temporary change. Our priority has been, and will always be, to keep everyone safe during the pandemic.
It is not about eroding or removing the choice of birthing women.
As a health service we believe in birthing women having access to alternative models of care, through the Birth Centre model, a hospital birth or in our two Midwifery Group Practices.
Most recently we started the Kem Kem Yanga Midwifery Group Practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to be cared for by a known midwife.
We will review our pandemic response over the next few weeks and will be guided by expert public health and infectious disease advice as to when our services can return to usual levels.
I continue to reassure Birth Centre clients they will receive safe and supported care by their midwives on the Labour Ward.
I thank the community for being flexible and resilient and for understanding our decisions are made with the best interests of as many people as possible.
Mothers to be with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 need our support and respect as they face this life event while unwell.
All patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 must be isolated from other patients to avoid spreading the virus.
At this point in time the Birth Centre continues to be the best location to do this because it is a stand-alone building.
We will update the community when services return to normal.
