Annex case to Ombudsman

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 286, 9 May 1989, Page 1

Annex case to Ombudsman

The Wanganui Area Health Board has failed to conduct a proper survey of the Waiouru community's health needs.

That is the contention of the Waiouru Action Committee in the case the group is putting to the Ombudsman's office for the

retention of the Waiouru Maternity Annex. Committee spokesman Suzanne SimmonsKopa has said the Ombudsman's help is being sought in the fight to retain Waiouru's Maternity Annex and that a "comprehensive file" of information has been sent to the office. The group also met with Defence Chief of Staff Brigadier Meldrum, who, Mrs Sim-

mons-Kopa said, was "very sympathetic". The Action Committee is angry at the announced weekend closures of the annex due

to staff shortages, because they say the Board has created the staff shortages by laying staff off. Waiouru midwife Libby Tuthill was rostered by the board to undertake ordinary duties and to be on call

but, citing obstetric regulations, the board ruled she could not undertake on-call work. The Waiouru Action Committee has reiterated the point that Waiouru expectant mothers often face the

unusual position of having no relatives to help around child-birth time. Mrs Simmons-Kopa refers to a woman who is due to have a baby in July, after the annex closes, who has a nine month old baby and no relatives. She says there are 15 babies due in November and predicts the proposed community midwife system will not cope in that month. She said Mrs Tuthill would be on call 24 hours a day, five days a week and that if she had to accompany a mother in the ambulance she would have to have at least 7^2 hours off the following day, leaving the system not covered.