Mount Gambier Hospital

Mr WILLIAMS (MacKillop) (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the government pay the additional costs for expectant mothers in the South-East who, as a result of this dispute between Country Health SA and the doctors in Naracoorte, will be forced to travel to Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge or elsewhere for their confinement?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries) (14:44): Many expectant mothers have to be birthed at the Mount Gambier Hospital at the moment because the current service, if my recollection is correct, is only three weeks in every four weeks that there is obstetric cover at Naracoorte, so there already is a situation where numbers of women have to be transported down to Mount Gambier. My understanding would be whatever arrangements we make for those women who had to travel previously we will make for any additional women.

From the top of my head, I think there are about eight women who we expect to birth imminent, at the moment, who Naracoorte would be expecting, so it's a relatively small number of women. My advice is Mount Gambier Hospital is in more than an adequate position to be able to deal with that extra birthing. My department was meeting with the Naracoorte doctors between 12 and 2. I haven't heard back from them, but I'm hopeful that will see a resolution of this particular issue.