April 2005

$2.5 million boost for country mums

More than 1,000 country mothers-to-be will have an expanded maternity service this year as part of a multi-million dollar Government drive to further strengthen health services in provincial Victoria.

Health Minister Bronwyn Pike said the Rural Maternity Initiative would provide more midwife services at country hospitals.

It is a major component of a $2.5 million Government boost for expanded maternity services programs and services—most of it in country Victoria.

Ms Pike said the scheme again demonstrated the Government’s commitment to improving medical and maternity care across the state.

‘Every mum-to-be should have the chance to have her baby as close to home as possible.

‘Despite a world-wide shortage of obstetricians, the Government wants to maintain and even increase the number of hospitals providing maternity services in country Victoria and we are looking at a range of options to meet the needs of country mothers.’

Ms Pike said $1 million would be spent on setting up 10 midwifery services in country Victoria.

Regional centres receiving funding would be Warrnambool, Timboon, Camperdown, Terang/Mortlake, Ballarat, Horsham, St Arnaud, Bendigo, Myrtleford/Bright/Mt Beauty, Yarrawonga, Seymour and the Latrobe Valley.

‘The setting up of these services will give women more choice about how they have their babies.

‘Country women assessed as suitable for midwife-led births will be able to have the same carer from pregnancy through to post-birth care. And, without this funding, some services would have been in danger of closing.’

As another part of the maternity package, doctors, midwives or health services would have copies of an easy-to-read information guide for mums-to-be about the medical tests and investigations they would be offered during their pregnancy.

In an Australian first, doctors and midwives at 22 country hospitals and health services will be part of an education program being rolled out across country Victoria to monitor the heartbeat and general wellbeing of a baby during birth using foetal surveillance equipment.

The program was piloted in five rural hospitals last year.

As well, a $584,000 emergency skills education program will help equip obstetricians and midwives with the training to provide the best possible care for mothers in Victoria—which already has the safest maternity services anywhere in the world.

The Government has also announced five trainee medical specialist postings in obstetrics to hospitals in country Victoria—two in Wodonga and one each in Ballarat, Bendigo and Mildura.

‘The postings will give qualified doctors vital experience in the final stages of their specialist obstetrics training and help country hospitals care for more mothers,’ Ms Pike said.

‘They will also act as a major recruiting drive to encourage young obstetricians to practise in the country, having experienced the advantages of working and living in rural Victoria.

‘As well, the Government is providing funding through country hospitals for five postings for local GPs to obtain advanced skills in obstetrics, as the first step towards enabling them to also conduct specialist procedures in local hospitals.’

Later this year the Government will spend $800,000 to establish a 24-hour consultant and transfer advice line for rural clinicians dealing with complex births and emergencies, linking them in with the best possible expert advice.

Ms Pike said this year alone the Government was investing more than $25 million on initiatives aimed at supporting a sustainable medical workforce in Victoria.