YOUR VIEWS

AS the acting director of obstetrics of the second largest maternity unit in the state – the Gold Coast University Hospital – I was surprised to read the story (Specialists labour point, GCB, 6/2/17) which spoke of obstetricians being “locked out by midwives” at our hospital.

I’m not sure where the AMA Queensland president got his information from as I can assure him that, having worked in obstetrics in 30 hospitals across Australia and overseas over the past 19 years, I find the relationship between obstetricians and midwives at Gold

Coast Health to be both collaborative and productive.

The Gold Coast University Hospital is one of the safest places to have a baby in Australia and indeed the world – with first-class facilities, enthusiastic staff, and a tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit.

On the key safety measures for maternity services, we perform as well as, or better than, comparable Australian hospitals.

We offer mothers a whole range of care options depending on their health and the health of their baby, which we have been at pains to ex- plain to the media at every opportunity.

It’s true that obstetricians are not involved in every pregnancy or birth at GCUH, but there is no reason for us to be involved in every low-risk, uncomplicated pregnancy or birth.

I can promise your readers that my colleagues and I do not sit around “twiddling’’ our thumbs (as stated on your website), waiting for the bell to ring; a claim that is both inaccurate and offensive.

There is growing demand for our maternity services at Gold Coast Health, which is not surprising given our excellent reputation for delivering safe care to our mothers and babies on the Gold Coast. DR LUKE WALDRIP, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Gold Coast University Hospital

HAVING nothing better to do one evening I decided to watch an episode of Channel 9’s Married at First Sight.

What an insult to people’s intelligence.

You can see this sort of garbage any Friday or Saturday night in any restaurant in any capital city in Australia (or anywhere else for that matter).

Also, why do TV producers and commercial producers think that showing blokes that haven’t shaved for a few days looks so good?

TV ads these days show the same boring unshaved faces and they think they impress viewers. Wrong.

Do something different, get your razors out and clean up your act. FRANK TEWKESBURY, SOUTHPORT