Mothers’ and babies’ lives at risk, claims consultant

THE lives of women and babies may be threatened by the loss of 47 experienced midwives in the region’s flagship maternity hospital, a local consultant obstetrician has claimed.

Dr Gerry Burke of the Mid-Western Regional Maternity Hospital, Limerick, has warned no plans have been presented by the HSE or the Department of Health to deal with the shortfall left if 47 midwives out of the hospital’s total complement of over 200 are allowed to retire under the Government’s public service pension deal.
Dr Burke said it is obvious the HSE is prepared to collude with the Department of Health in making pregnant women and their newborn babies contribute to paying for the gambling losses of German and other international banks and for the fiscal recklessness of previous governments.
“Unfortunately, some women and babies may pay for it with their lives. The shortfall of over 20 % of midwifery staff will diminish the quality of maternity care these women and babies receive.
“Having babies is the core business of human beings.  Therefore, the provision of safe maternity services is among the most fundamental duties of the Government.
“An attack on the country’s maternity services represents a step in the disintegration of civil society. It must not go unchallenged. The community must resist it in the strongest possible terms,” he said.
The maternity hospital provides care to over 6,000 women and about 5,200 newborn infants in the Mid-West, including Clare, every year.
However, the Mid-West HSE insists contingency plans are being developed to cover any gaps that may arise in staffing as a result of midwives retiring at the end of February. Many of these contingency plans are at an advanced stage.
A HSE spokesman explains it is not possible at present  to say exactly how many will be leaving at the end of the grace period, as staff still have a chance to change their minds.
Dr Burke, chairman of the Limerick City Labour Party, also claims the maternity hospital’s physical infrastructure, which is 50 years old, has been struggling with the large increase in births over the last five years.
“There are increasingly unconvincing and nebulous plans to relocate the hospital to a new building on the Dooradoyle site at some distant point in the future. I predict the relocation of a Dublin maternity hospital (such as moving the Coombe to Tallaght) will be given priority.
“It should not be beyond the Mid-West Region’s resources to build a new maternity hospital for itself and to sort out the regional hospital’s separate capacity issues. The Mid-West Region has a population of 380,000. An investment of €150 million would cost us each about €20 a year for 20 years.
“Indeed, some of the money could be raised through the issuing of a Government-backed bonds. There is no reason that a regional authority could not be empowered by legislation to raise the money through a bond issue and by other means,” he said.
“This investment would create about 1,500 direct construction jobs for the duration of the building project, a huge boost to the city and the region.   
“There is an urgent need to remove the Mid-West’s hospital from the control of the HSE, which has been very detrimental to the Mid-West Region, and place them under local democratic control. Elected representatives, answerable to the local community, must take control again,” he added.
An Taoiseach Enda Kenny has described Mr Burke’s comments as “outrageous” and says pressure points will arise but plans are in place to deal with the exodus.
The Mid-West HSE also stated there are long-term plans for building a new maternity hospital on the campus of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle. 
In the interim, over €3m has been spent upgrading facilities at the Ennis Road hospital, including the neo-natal department, new theatre, three labour wards and admissions unit.