CORONAVIRUS
— HOSPITALS — BIRTHS
21. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to correspondence that the
minister, the Premier and the opposition have received from the ''Make
it Make Sense'' campaign.
(1) Can the
minister confirm that under previous lockdowns, partners of women giving birth
have been prevented from being present in public hospitals during this
especially important period?
(2) Can the
minister confirm that this policy has contributed to significant distress for
mothers and their partners, and, potentially, mental health issues, including
postnatal depression?
Mr R.H.
COOK replied:
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question. I can confirm that COVID-19 provides a great
opportunity for people to get distressed and be anxious. That is regrettable.
It is part of our lives. It is very sad when we see the negative impact
associated with measures that our public health experts say we must put in
place in order to keep people safe. Obviously, hospital environments are areas
where we see a significant number of not only vulnerable people but also the
community and the population coming in and out of those buildings and
institutions. It is important when we have a heightened state of alert in any
lockdown situation that we take extra opportunities to protect people,
particularly the most vulnerable. Often, those measures are difficult to put in
place. They are heartbreaking and distressing for many people, but they are
done with the very best of public health advice. They are done with a heavy
heart, but with a determination to keep people safe. I have not had the
opportunity to review the correspondence that the member referred to, but we
take every opportunity when we have these situations to review, reflect and
make sure that we get the balance right in protecting people and allowing them
to go about their normal lives.