What a lifesaver.....!!!???
The World Today - Wednesday, 15 March , 2006
12:38:00
Reporter: Kylie Bartholomew
ELEANOR HALL: As regional Australia struggles to cope
with the lack of medical specialists, one retired obstetrician has decided to
return to work after three years working to improve his golf
handicap.
77-year-old obstetrician, Dr Reginald Williams returned to
his practice in central Queensland when he became aware of the plight of the
residents of the town of Emerald.
Most pregnant women in the region
faced a three-hour drive to give birth when the local hospital closed its
maternity ward recently.
But Kylie Bartholomew reports that they're now
breathing a little easier.
KYLIE BARTHOLOMEW: Emerald in central
Queensland is riding the mining boom. Big paying jobs are attracting young
families who are also contributing to a baby boom.
Up to 400 are born
in Emerald each year. But the state of the art hospital is missing one thing:
an obstetrician to deliver them.
ERIN BEAMES: It was very
disappointing, because we've delivered the first
our first two children in
Emerald and we have family already in Emerald.
KYLIE BARTHOLOMEW: For
mum-to-be Erin Beames, the situation looked grim.
ERIN BEAMES: Because
we don't have family in Mackay, we would've had to arrange accommodation for
my partner and the other kids and we wouldn't have any other family close
by.
We don't know for sure whether or not my partner would've been able
to be present, because we wouldn't have had anybody to look after our other
children for us. That wouldn't have been very nice at all.
KYLIE
BARTHOLOMEW: Emerald Mayor Peter Maguire was also concerned. The city is just
one of many with vacant surgical positions, partly because of fall-out from
the Dr Death scandal.
PETER MAGUIRE: There's almost 400 children a year
born here, so it clearly wasn't acceptable
the disruption to families and the
other children, if there's other children involved and the fathers obviously.
So it was a, you know, real pain where it hurts.
KYLIE BARTHOLOMEW:
That was until 77-year-old Dr Reginald Williams entered the
picture.
The retiree was concerned that pregnant women in Emerald would
have to travel at least three hours to give birth. So he's left his own family
behind in Brisbane and volunteered to fill the gap for eight weeks until
another doctor can take over the reins.
REGINALD WILLIAMS: Well, I had
some sort of a rapport with the people of Emerald, because I have come through
here quite often going to the gem fields. So I just felt that it was a shame
that they didn't have an obstetric service here for the time being.
I
had an idea that if it was possible that I would like to provide a locum
service so that country specialists could have some time off if they wanted
it. And I was thinking along those lines when I saw this announcement in the
paper.
KYLIE BARTHOLOMEW: Dr Williams phoned the hospital direct to
offer his services.
(To Reginald Williams) What was their response when
you came forward?
REGINALD WILLIAMS: Couldn't get me here quick
enough.
KYLIE BARTHOLOMEW: That's a pretty extraordinary act of
kindness. You must've felt very strongly for the people of
Emerald?
REGINALD WILLIAMS: I feel strongly for anybody who can't get
the doctor in their own area.
KYLIE BARTHOLOMEW: Erin Beames is now the
proud mother of a baby boy, born last Friday in Emerald, all thanks to Dr
Williams.
ERIN BEAMES: Dr Williams was great. We couldn't have asked
for anything better. He was absolutely wonderful. Even though it was like at
midnight, he kept coming up to the hospital and checking on us and it was
really, really good. He was lovely.
ELEANOR HALL: A very happy Emerald
Mum Erin Beames, ending that report from Kylie Bartholomew.
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