TERANG and Mortlake Health has seen an 18 per cent increase in birthing numbers.
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The rise, for the 2017 calendar year, is pointing to a busy period for the maternity service despite Health Minister Jill Hennessy casting some doubt around the future of the service in October last year.
Terang and Mortlake Health chief executive Julia Ogdin said the maternity service was also expecting several more births before December and there were a number of expectant mothers booked in for the new year.
Ms Ogdin’s said after reports the service was under threat the community support had been particularly heartening.
“Community members have been passionate about welcoming their new babies at their local health service,” she said.
“It has been rewarding for our midwives to see families return to the health service to deliver their second, third and even fourth babies.
“The message has certainly been received by the community that maternity services are of a high standard and that there is no need to travel vast distances to access excellent maternity care.”
Ms Ogdin said the board was committed to offering the valuable service to families.
She said people were encouraged to tour the facilities and talk to midwives on what support and care that they could expect.
She said she was encouraged by the strengthened relationship between Warrnambool Medical Clinic, which has provided GP services from its Mortlake campus, and the Terang Medical Clinic which delivers the obstetric care.
She said this meant Mortlake mothers had the option to deliver their babies in Terang.