STEPHANIE THOMPSON
RIVERLAND women can feel assured birthing services will continue in Loxton, provided baby numbers remain steady, according to a local spokesperson.
A low number of babies born at Waikerie Hospital – believed to be around 30 last year – could be impacting the facility’s ability to retain staff, with the shortage forcing the suspension of birthing services in the town earlier this year.
If Waikerie Hospital permanently loses its capacity to birth babies, it will follow in the footsteps of Renmark and Barmera hospitals, leaving just Berri and Loxton to facilitate Riverland deliveries.
In the past five years, Loxton Hospital Complex has averaged over 82 births per year and Loxton and Districts Health Advisory Council (HAC) presiding member Sally Goode said she was confident the figure, along with measures to retain staff, would prohibit Loxton from going down the same path.
“We have always made a conscious effort to be welcoming to pregnant mums,” she said.
“We have done so much with our family-friendly rooms and we were the first (SA) country hospital to be accredited as baby friendly.”
Ms Goode said the Loxton Hospital Complex was facing a midwife shortage about five years ago.
“We were alerted to the fact that midwifery numbers were looking a bit precarious because our midwives were reaching retiring age,” she said.
“That’s why the HAC then consciously started providing scholarships.”
The Loxton HAC has since provided funds – derived from community donations – to have four midwives trained.
“We specified it had to be local people,” she said.
“It was specifically to attract local people because statistically, local professionals are the ones who stay in the country.
“We personally felt that investing the community’s donations in education, to promote younger staff, was a very good way of investing it.”
Ms Goode said making the Loxton Hospital Complex desirable to new mothers and families was pivotal to retaining staff.
“There are a number of people from outside the Loxton area who come to Loxton specifically to have their babies,” she said.
“Anecdotally we know that women come across the river and of course, we have people coming from Pinnaroo and Lameroo to have their babies.
“If you are a qualified midwife, you need to be delivering babies regularly; you have to keep your skills up.”
Last month, Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network CEO Wayne Champion told the Murray Pioneer that birth numbers typically impact staffing scenarios.
“Midwifery staff need to participate in a certain number of birthing processes to maintain their skills over the course of their career, but we can rotate staff through a number of other hospitals from Loxton and Berri to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, to help maintain (midwife) skills,” he said.
“Generally speaking, people become midwives because they want to be involved in supporting mums and new babies, and therefore, busier places in terms of birthing are more attractive to them.”
The Murray Pioneer understands a decision regarding the future of Waikerie birthing services will be made at the end of the month.