Parents struggling without birthing services at key hospital
Families in Carnarvon say five years without access to local birthing services and support has had a deeply traumatic impact on the community.
Over the past five years, birthing services have been unavailable at Carnarvon Hospital, a key facility in a remote region of Western Australia. Parents are being forced to travel hundreds of kilometres, often exceeding 1,000 km, to give birth and receive essential support services. This strain on their finances and mental health has left many feeling anxious and guilty about their experiences.
The lack of services has forced some expectant mothers to seek assistance from the WA Country Health Service's Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS), which can be costly and time-consuming. New parents like Tarlia Hill and Michael Wilkins are particularly affected, with Hill expressing her fear of long car journeys and the difficulties of her pregnancy.
Wilkins, who has faced mounting medical bills and inadequate reimbursement, highlights the financial burden of birthing away from home. Despite the WA Country Health Service's commitment to re-establishing birthing services, families are left frustrated by the delays and high costs involved. Premier Roger Cook has promised to cover the costs of PATS reimbursements, but critics argue that the government needs to provide more immediate support to ease the burden on families.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
