A unique Rural Birth Summit with the aim of bringing birth services back to the bush will be held in Rockhampton today (Thursday 14 March).
Hosted by 果冻传媒鈥檚 Queensland Centre for Mothers and Babies (QCMB), the summit will bring together parents, doctors, midwives, politicians and bureaucrats to find practical solutions to strengthen maternity care in rural and remote Queensland.
Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg will be guest speaker.
QCMB Director Professor Sue Kruske said maternity services in the bush had steadily declined over the years, and many women now had to travel to major centres to have their babies.
鈥淥nce upon a time most women were able to give birth in the community they lived in,鈥� Professor Kruske said.
鈥淏ut over the years, for a number of reasons, birth services have either been downgraded or completely removed from towns all over Queensland.
鈥淲hat we are seeing now is a growing swell of support from parents, clinicians and politicians to restore these services.鈥�
Emerald mum Tish Ryder said women deserved better maternity options everywhere, not just in metropolitan areas.
鈥淲e need to make changes to the way that maternity services are offered in order for them to be sustained in rural areas so that women can birth close to their home,鈥� Mrs Ryder said.
鈥淭he time for change is now. There is enough evidence to support the safety of the different models of care.
鈥淭here is unrivalled political will and obvious consumer demand.
鈥淎ll that is required is for local and district leaders to take up the challenge and facilitate the change by acting now without delay,鈥� she said.
Dr Ewen McPhee from the Rural Doctors Association of Queensland said the day was not just another 鈥渢alk-fest鈥�.
鈥淲e are focused on finding practical solutions to build stronger and more sustainable rural maternity services for communities in Central Queensland,鈥� Dr McPhee said.
The summit is hosted by the QCMB in partnership with the Rural Doctors Association of Queensland, the Maternity Coalition, the Australian College of Midwives Queensland Branch, the Statewide Maternal and Neonatal Clinical Network and the Statewide Rural and Remote Clinical Network.
The summit runs from 9am to 4.15pm at the Customs House, 208 Quay St, Rockhampton.
Media: Queensland Centre for Mothers and Babies Communications Manager Andrew Dunne, 0433 364 181.
Health Minister Mr Springborg will address the summit at 2.30pm and will be available to the media at 3.15pm.
