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An Auckland man has been left "heartbroken" and angry after police removed him from his wife and newborn daughter's side in hospital, as a Covid-19 precaution.
Three Kings resident David Cumin's wife Dana gave birth by emergency c-section at Auckland City Hospital on Thursday evening.
However, despite having spent the previous night in hospital with his wife, Cumin was asked to leave the hospital as a Covid-19 precaution.
"We all went up to the ward where I was told that I had to leave. I protested because I didn't think that it was fair or reasonable," Cumin told the Herald.
While his objection allowed Cumin to stay on Thursday night in Auckland City Hospital maternity ward with his wife and baby daughter - the hospital midwives issued the same request to leave on Friday morning.
"I asked what risk I posed and no one could tell me any specific risk that I posed given that I had spent two nights in hospital," Cumin said.
"None of the doctors, nurses or midwives I spoke to thought this was a fair or reasonable policy. They said it was a national directive.
"They were essentially hamstrung. They had to carry out the order from above."
David Cumin is an engineering academic at the University of Auckland.
At his insistence not to leave, hospital security were eventually called and then police - at which point Cumin left shortly before midday on Friday.
"It kind of escalated. They threatened security and they came in. Eventually the police came, that's the bottom line. I didn't want to be trespassed or arrested. It just made sense to leave," Cumin said.
Police confirmed to the Herald that they attended a trespass job at Auckland City Hospital on Friday but no arrests were made.
The University of Auckland academic said he was speaking out in the hope that no other new father will have to leave his newborn's side in the coming months, due to what he says in an unlawful policy.
"I was told that other fathers had been asked to leave and had just walked out basically, had been more compliant than I had was," he said.
"I got told by the senior midwife that other fathers were in a similar position. So this is not just me.
"That's why I have made a fuss because I don't want any future fathers to have to be in this situation either. There doesn't seem to be a very good reason for it.
"That was their excuse, it's got to do with Covid-19, but they couldn't be specific about it."
Cumin said, as he was leaving, one of the midwives said the policy was being reviewed - but unless a change was made soon he could not return to see his wife and daughter until they were discharged in a few days.
"I'm hoping to hear back soon and possibly be reunited. But more importantly I hope that future fathers to be don't face the same position, and that they do revise the policy to be kind basically," he said.
"It was heartbreaking to have to leave them. I know that Dana is in good hands. The midwives and staff up there are awesome. They've been amazing throughout, so I'm not worried about them, it's just hard to be away from them."
"They're both doing great. It should be a really happy time."
