Lack of services failing mothers, families

The lack of a maternity ward at Katanning Hospital is taking its toll on expectant mothers and their families, according to pregnant women in the town.

On May 23 last year, birthing services were suspended at Katanning Hospital due to a lack of qualified medical staff and no date has been set for their resumption.

Albany, Bunbury and Perth continue to be frequented by pregnant women looking to have their babies in specialised maternity wards. Expectant mother and Woodanilling resident Danielle Perrie is one of many pregnant women forced to travel to another regional centre to give birth.

“I feel it’s a real shame, Katanning Hospital has great facilities,” she said.

“It’s sad my baby can’t be born in my home town.”

The lack of obstetricians in Katanning is also damaging businesses because families are buying baby products in areas their babies are delivered.

Juaini Taylor, who had a caesarean delivery at Bunbury Hospital in January, said she believed the strain of having to relocate to give birth detracted from prospective residents moving to town.

She lived with her parents in Bunbury in the lead-up to giving birth, while her husband continued working.

He had to make the three-hour drive to Bunbury from Katanning every few days.

“Whenever I would have a contraction or something he would have to travel three hours just to be with me and then it was a false alarm and then he would have to drive back,” she said. “It was tiring for both of us.

“We have a lot of maternal health professions in town already, we just need a doctor. We just need that one person to help and to deliver. If we can we get that one person, it could change a lot of lives.”

WA Country Health Service Great Southern regional director Susan Kay said the service was working with local general practitioners and Rural Health West to attract GPs with the necessary procedural skills to Katanning so birthing services could be resumed.