Maternity Unit Suspended, DHB Accused of Covering Up Baby Death

Yet more evidence that maternity services in New Zealand have reached breaking point. For background to this issue see Pregnant women ordered out of New Zealand and an article in the February edition of the NZ Listener "New Zealand's maternity system is an unfortunate experiement from which the rest of the world will learn"


From the Herald on Sunday, by Cliff Taylor.
"Health authorities in Northland are being accused of a cover-up over the death of a baby at Dargaville Hospital.
An inquiry is under way into what is believed to have been a stillbirth at the hospital in early January.
Birthing at the hospital has been suspended while the investigation is carried out, forcing women in labour to be transferred 58km over a twisting, hilly road to Whangarei Hospital.
Pregnant women in the town have told the Herald on Sunday they have concerns about their safety and that of their babies, and have demanded more information from Northland District Health Board.
The DHB denies there is a cover-up, although neither it nor the hospital will even confirm the death or what is being investigated.
The DHB says the maternity unit is not being used for births after a "clinical incident" at the hospital.
A local newspaper in Dargaville reported a stillbirth at the hospital in January, and another printed several death notices....."
More here: Maternity unit suspended