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Health Officials Front Over Whakatane Hospital Maternity Service Downgrades

Health officials fronted up to a packed Acacia House in Whakatāne on Thursday, over the hospital's maternity service downgrades.


Earlier this month, the hospital lost its secondary birthing unit and ability to conduct high risk births.


High risk births are now being done at Tauranga Hospital, with Whakatāne Hospital only doing low risk births.



Health NZ/Te Whatu Ora deputy chief executive Cath Cronin. Photo: Paora Manuel
Health NZ/Te Whatu Ora deputy chief executive Cath Cronin. Photo: Paora Manuel

Health NZ deputy chief executive Cath Cronin said she is “truly sorry that we've ended up in this position.”


“This is not where any of us want to be and we're working with a short and immediate plan and to genuinely re-enage with the community, to re-establish our secondary services in Whakatāne,” Cronin told the crowd at Acacia House.


Among the options including hiring specialists from overseas.


Cronin wouldn't commit to an exact time on if they could get something done sooner, other than to say they plan to resolve the situation within the next 12 months.


She said they are “working hard” to get something done in the “shortest time possible.”


Cronin has ordered a review on how the downgrades were communicated, with the news coming out just before Christmas.


She said the review will look at what's happened over the past 12 months but adds it's “probably looking back a bit longer in time.”


Cronin said she plans to share the review with the community, at a later date.


The Acacia House meeting comes as a community march, in response to the maternity service downgrades, will take place on Saturday February 15th.


Among the march organisers is Whakatāne District Councillor Nándor Tánczos, who said the march “is an opportunity for the community to have a voice.”


“People are really hurting about the downgrades, they’re sore and upset,” Tánczos said.


“They would have been at risk, if this had been in place when they were having children. It's really concerning and I think it does put lives at risk.”

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