Nothing new for Wanaka maternity services one year on

The Southern District Health Board continues to let Wanaka mothers down a year after promising maternity services would be improved - and despite a huge number of births in the area, Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean says.

"It's been all talk and no action for the Southern DHB in Wanaka.
“There have been 152 babies born in the town in the year to June 2019, with four sets of twins arriving in the past five weeks, and over 200 babies expected in the next 12 months.

“These figures reflect the urgent need for improved maternity services in Wanaka and yet the Southern DHB continues to do very little for this community - it's on a go-slow.

“It’s now been one year since the Southern DHB released its Integrated Primary Maternity System of Care, in August 2018, announcing its new “maternal and child hub” for Wanaka and the provision of greater maternity support for women and their families across the district.

“Sadly the Southern DHB’s new maternity system looks rather ineffective now, with services in as a bad a shape as they have ever been in the Upper Clutha, while the new maternal and child hub is nowhere near finished.

"In fact there are many Wanaka mothers, who were pregnant at the time of the Southern DHB's announcement last year, who have since had their baby and are still waiting for change.

“Two months ago the Southern DHB admitted to me that more maternity services were needed in Central Otago, thanks to population growth, but they’re still undecided on how, or where to deliver them.

“The Southern DHB is moving far too slowly here, and the Government is not seeking any accountability whatsoever.
“In the meantime, they are effectively playing Russian Roulette with the lives of Wanaka mothers and babies, who live with the knowledge that if there is an emergency there are simply no designated facilities in their town to support them.”