1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,800 Speaker 1: Now, if you've been listening to the show over the 2 00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: last well few weeks, even towards the end of last year, 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: certainly health and the maternity services across the Northern Territory 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 1: have been high on the agenda. Now, last week we 5 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: caught up with Luke Gosling, the Federal member for Solomon, 6 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 1: and he had spoken to us about the ten million 7 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: dollars that's been flagged when it comes to maternity services 8 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: for the Northern Territory, but had said that the Health Minister, 9 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,159 Speaker 1: Mark Butler, had not received that detailed plan from the 10 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: Health Department until last week. Now, it's something that certainly 11 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: raised my eyebrows. I know that it raised the eyebrows 12 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:40,239 Speaker 1: of plenty of others, including the families and women involved 13 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: with our birth. Our voice. Now, Tessa Sizlowski joins me 14 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: on the line. Good morning, Tessa. 15 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. How are you this morning? 16 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,279 Speaker 1: Really well? Thank you? Now, Tessa, I'm not sure if 17 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: you had heard what Luke Gosling had said last week 18 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: or whether you'd found out about that, But was it 19 00:00:57,840 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: something that was worrying to you guys? 20 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 2: It was. It was extremely worrying and we heard it 21 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,680 Speaker 2: from a number of different sources that that detailed funding 22 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 2: plan was only received by the Federal Department of Health 23 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 2: on Wednesday last week. Notwithstanding you know, this has been 24 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: an issue that has obviously been talked about since February 25 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,319 Speaker 2: last year when Helscope pronounced the closure of the private hospital, 26 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 2: and then I believe the first funding request was put 27 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 2: in in May of last year. That it's taken this 28 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 2: long for a detailed funding request to be submitted to 29 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 2: the federal government. And I heard the Chief Minister yesterday saying, no, 30 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: that's not the case. This is politicizing the issue. At 31 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 2: the end of the day, we don't want to hear 32 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 2: politics from either side of government. We just want the 33 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 2: money to flow so that maternity services at RDH can 34 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 2: be improved. 35 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, I one hundred percent agree with you, and you know, 36 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: you sort of think to yourself, we can play politics here, 37 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: but it's not going to get any one anywhere, and 38 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: it's certainly not going to help women that need to 39 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: give birth in the Northern Territory. 40 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: That's exactly right, Katie. It's extremely frustrating for our group. 41 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: We're a group of mums who are volunteering our time 42 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 2: to do this advocacy work. And to find out that 43 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 2: potentially this has been sitting on somebody's desk, you know, 44 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 2: a bureaucrat in NTY Health or a bureaucrat in the 45 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 2: Federal Department of Health, wherever it's sitting, is extremely frustrating. 46 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 2: And there's a really easy way to answer the questions 47 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 2: and the queries and put stop to the politics table 48 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 2: the documents, redact the sensitive information, leave the dates in there, 49 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 2: and then we can see where the delay is. Who's 50 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 2: you know, who's fault if there's fault there. But at 51 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 2: the end of the day, I can't believe that it's 52 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 2: taking this amount of time to get ten million dollars 53 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 2: to improve our maternity services. If this was the private sector, Katie, 54 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 2: you know heads food roll, people would lose their jobs. 55 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: Over this, Jess, So, what are the main things that 56 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: you know that women within your group are saying that 57 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: they really want that ten million dollars invested into, Like 58 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: what what do they want to see fairly urgently when 59 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: it comes to maternity services. 60 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 2: There's a couple of really key things, Katie, and I 61 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 2: don't know that the ten million dollars is earmarked for this, 62 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,919 Speaker 2: but one of the issues is obviously we do have staffing. 63 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 2: We know that there are the birth suites downstairs that 64 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 2: are being underutilized because of staffing issues. We know that 65 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 2: the midwives on the delivery suites are absolutely under the pump. 66 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 2: They are doing a fantastic job with the resources that 67 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 2: they have. That staffing continues to be problematic, and so 68 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 2: obviously that's a big that's a big issue that potentially 69 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 2: some money could could assist with, but I don't. My 70 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 2: understanding is the ten million dollars is not earmarked for staffing. 71 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 2: It's earmarked for improvements to the delivery suites. I believe 72 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 2: it is earmarked to create individual bathrooms for each of 73 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 2: the birthing suites up on Level six, which it's fantastic. 74 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 2: That's definitely something that we've been calling for and asking for, 75 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 2: So that's great, and I think it is also going 76 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 2: to be put towards kind of improving the Rainbow room 77 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 2: to make sure that mums who have suffered an infancy 78 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 2: loss aren't having to go on to the ward, that 79 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 2: they would have access to their own bathroom, toilet, and 80 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 2: their room outside of the wards. So that is something 81 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 2: else that we've been calling for. So we're hoping that 82 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 2: you know that is there the air conditioning. I'm not 83 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 2: sure whether it's your munt to improve the air conditioning situation, 84 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,679 Speaker 2: but we're still hearing even after last week, we're still 85 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 2: hearing mums saying it is not working properly up at 86 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 2: the hospital. But I don't know how long it hasn't 87 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 2: been working for, whether it's intermittently not working properly, whether 88 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 2: it's just some rooms that it isn't working, but we 89 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 2: are still hearing stories of mums that have been in 90 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: hospital in the last couple of weeks and the air 91 00:04:57,960 --> 00:04:58,919 Speaker 2: conditioning is not working. 92 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, don't wrap my head around this one. Like I 93 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: just think, you know, nobody would be surprised if the 94 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: Health department or if the minister came out and said, 95 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: you know, this hospital is aging. It's you know, it's 96 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: it's not perfect. The air conditioning system is not operating 97 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: at its optimal level, which is why some women may 98 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: be warm when they are in there. You know, these 99 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: are the things we're trying to do to remediate it. 100 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: I just don't understand why that's really not the approach 101 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: rather than going up there's nothing wrong with it. 102 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're in the same boat, Katie We're a little 103 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 2: bit baffled by the response of no, it's working fine, 104 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 2: because that is certainly not the feedback that we're getting 105 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 2: that obviously your listeners are providing to you as well. 106 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 2: You know, even if they can get some heavy duty 107 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,799 Speaker 2: additional fans up there or some you know, other movable 108 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 2: portable air conditioning systems or something to fix it as 109 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 2: a temporary fix until they can sort it out. But 110 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 2: I agree. I mean, it's an old building. We all 111 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 2: know that. We know that, you know, there's going to 112 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 2: be significant costs, probably be if they need to actually 113 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 2: overhaul the entire system. But I think just that the 114 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,919 Speaker 2: fact that it's no, it's fine, that's really hard to 115 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 2: kind of hear. And then and then on the back 116 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,799 Speaker 2: of that, we're hearing about the issues about the funding 117 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 2: and the delays with that, we're sort of feeling like 118 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 2: we're having the same conversations over and over again and 119 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 2: not actually getting anywhere. I know Senator Price is holding 120 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 2: in the federal government to account and she's called for 121 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 2: the tabling of some of that correspondence in the estimates 122 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 2: late last year, so you know, hopefully there is some 123 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 2: progress there. And obviously the leader for the Opposition has 124 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 2: put some questions to the minister in NT Parliament, so 125 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 2: hopefully we get some progress. But I just feel like 126 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 2: this is the same conversation we had Katie back in 127 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 2: November of last year. 128 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: I know, I agree with you, Tessa. And in the 129 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 1: meantime though, from November last year to now, are there 130 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: mums that are going into state to have their babies? 131 00:06:56,839 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 2: Like, what are you hearing? Yeah? There are? Okay, obviously 132 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 2: we have had a doctor Ali Vamuri's last day was yesterday, 133 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 2: I believe, and that's it. She's she's done. So her 134 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 2: rooms at the private hospital are now empty, which is 135 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 2: you know, really really sad for lots of mums who 136 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 2: who you know, she's delivered their babies, myself included. But 137 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 2: I think for the broader community that there's no private 138 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:27,679 Speaker 2: obstetric option available now there are mums going into state, 139 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 2: a lot of mums going into state. We're continuing to 140 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 2: hear that people are choosing to you know, fly into 141 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 2: State at thirty six weeks or whenever they medically are 142 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 2: able to and spend that time down there, which it's 143 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 2: that's a significant impact on our local economy. You've got 144 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 2: families who are relocating, either giving up work earlier than 145 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 2: they would have, or you know, their partners are having 146 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 2: to give up work earlier than they would have because 147 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 2: they've got to go down and support and they're moving, 148 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 2: you know, moving into state. And then there's the period 149 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 2: of time after as well. So it is a real concern. 150 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 2: And unfortunately with the announcement and the Chief Minister touched 151 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 2: on this yesterday with the new rebranded health Scope not 152 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 2: for profit, that's not the news we were hoping for. 153 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 2: But hopefully, you know, there is a real push from 154 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 2: both the NT government and the Federal government to reinstate 155 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 2: private maternity services because it is going to have this 156 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 2: ongoing flow on effect of mums choosing to go into 157 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 2: state if they don't have the option. 158 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: Yes here, I agree, and that's the last thing we 159 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 1: want to see. And look, I really feel as though 160 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: as well with this maternity services situation, you know, whether 161 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 1: you're talking about the Northern Territory government, the Federal government, 162 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 1: whoever it may be, I think that everybody's just got 163 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: to step back for a second and go hang on, 164 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: We've got mums here saying that this is a real 165 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: concern to us. This is a real worry that there 166 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: are not options. We are going into state to birth 167 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,680 Speaker 1: our babies. You do not want to lose those people. 168 00:08:57,760 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: I think we've just got to step back and go 169 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: what can we do to try and sort this situation. 170 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: Let's put the politics aside, let's make it work. 171 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 2: I agree one hundred percent, Katie. And that's the line 172 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 2: that we've been running with from day one. This is 173 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 2: not something that should be a political issue. This is 174 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 2: talking about growing quite literally growing our population through the 175 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:26,479 Speaker 2: birth of New Territorians and supporting mums and their families 176 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:30,199 Speaker 2: through that process. And everybody should be on the same 177 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 2: page about that. Labor, liberal, federal government, territory government, and 178 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 2: if we could all get there, that'd be fantastic. But 179 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 2: unfortunately it seems like the politics continue and it's just 180 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:46,199 Speaker 2: really really disappointing for our group and I'm sure the 181 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 2: wider community that they continue to play politics with such 182 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 2: an important tissue. 183 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree with you, Tessa. Thank you so much 184 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 1: for your time this morning. I'll let you go. I 185 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: know you're a busy woman. We always appreciate you coming. 186 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 2: On no problems THAINK so much, Katie. 187 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 1: Thank you