Paper Petition

The petition of residents of the State of Queensland draws to the attention of the House recent loss of birthing services at Mareeba District Hospital, which makes 37 services in the public sector that have closed since 1995.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to improve maternity care services by implementing the recommendations of the Report of the Review of Maternity Services in Queensland, re-birthing. In the first instance there should be an immediate reversal of the decision to cease birthing services at Mareeba Hospital. The Health Minister should approve the Mareeba Maternity Unit as a demonstration site of the Bub-hub structure with midwifery teams operating in a best practice, primary care model. This service should start immediately and allow the 70-80% of women with “low-risk” pregnancies to continue birthing at Mareeba Hospital. The Minister should provide whatever financial and other support is required to hasten the recruitment and training of a suitable medical officer to fill the vacant Medical Superintendent position at Mareeba Hospital. This person must have qualifications and skills that would allow most of those women with risk factors to birth in Mareeba.