Private birthcare an asset

In response to recent articles relating to private obstetricians operating at Auckland Hospital and the rates of caesarean sections. Many, like my wife, engage the services of a private obstetrician after a lengthy process to even fall pregnant while having difficulty maintaining a pregnancy to its full term. With these complicating factors, the individual and specialised care a private obstetrician provides is critical in maximising the probability of a successful birth, for both mother and in our case, twin boys (who were delivered recently at Auckland Hospital via caesarean section).

Medical disagreements over timing and perhaps I would argue, a holistic reluctance to perform a caesarean section at the “public” Auckland Hospital, even with multiple complicating factors associated with my wife’s health, contributed to her nearly bleeding to death on the operating table (when the complicating factors raised their ugly head). My children were also at risk and I was not far away from leaving hospital on my own with the rest of my family requiring a burial in the lead up to Christmas. I would like to publicly thank and support our private obstetrician for her skill and professionalism in keeping my family alive on that day (while working at a public hospital).

I submit that private healthcare professionals are an asset to a burdened public health system and that their skills and experience should be welcomed, rather than treated with scepticism and suspicion by those within the “upper levels” of the public system. When those with decades worth of experience in women’s health recommend birth via caesarean section, perhaps we should be more willing to listen to them rather than question them. The only statistic I care about is the one relating to having a healthy wife and child(ren) leaving hospital together in one piece. In our instance, 100 per cent and for that, once again I say to our private obstetrician “thank you”.

Stefan Roberts, Pukekohe.