KEY POINTS:
Health authorities in Northland are being accused of a cover-up over the death of a baby at Dargaville Hospital.
An inquiry is under way into what is believed to have been a stillbirth at the hospital in early January.
Birthing at the hospital has been suspended while the investigation is carried out, forcing women in labour to be transferred 58km over a twisting, hilly road to Whangarei Hospital.
Pregnant women in the town have told the Herald on Sunday they have concerns about their safety and that of their babies, and have demanded more information from Northland District Health Board.
The DHB denies there is a cover-up, although neither it nor the hospital will even confirm the death or what is being investigated.
The DHB says the maternity unit is not being used for births after a "clinical incident" at the hospital.
A local newspaper in Dargaville reported a stillbirth at the hospital in January, and another printed several death notices.
The Herald on Sunday approached the family who refused to comment until the inquiry is complete.
The Health and Disabilities Commission said it had received a complaint about the incident but was also waiting for the results of the DHB inquiry before deciding whether to start its own investigation.
"We are watching to see what the outcome is," deputy commissioner Rae Lamb said.
Dargaville woman Christine Gallagher, from the New Zealand College of Midwives, said even if the death was straightforward, the actions of the DHB and hospital were causing uncertainty.
"There must be a cover-up. I am gobsmacked at the way the whole thing is unfolding. I can only imagine some of the scenarios.
"I wouldn't feel confident using the service at Dargaville until I knew the nature of the incident and what is being done about it."
She said she had her own concerns about procedures at the hospital, particularly the movement of staff between the general and maternity wards, which increased the risk of infections. "It's not a good idea. It's not good practice."
Gallagher said three midwives had already left the town because of problems working with the DHB.
Despite the suspension of birthing at Dargaville Hospital, Gallagher said one woman had given birth there less than a fortnight ago.
Gallagher said the woman had started giving birth in an ambulance en route to Whangarei and had to be returned to Dargaville.
"They got 10 minutes out of town and it started. She must have fully dilated and it was all on."
Marissa Moaho from Te Kopuru, near Dargaville, is six weeks away from giving birth to her third child. She said she would rather have a home birth than be taken to Whangarei.
"The last two times my labour was less than an hour. I wouldn't like to have to give birth in an ambulance. "
Her mother Kerry Morton said she felt her daughter's health was being "jeopardised" by the suspension of birthing at Dargaville.
"They are not being very open about it. There is a lot of rumour and hearsay, which is worse. I would like to know what is going on."
Christine Hayes from Tutumoe, north of Dargaville, is due to give birth in less than three weeks.
She had her first child, Marie, at Dargaville Hospital two-and-a-half years ago, but is nervous about what's happening and the possibility of a two-hour journey to Whangarei.
"This is now risking my health. I would be safer delivering here."
At Dargaville Hospital, Jamal Mohammed and his wife Rukshana, who is eight months pregnant, said they knew nothing of the controversy at the maternity unit, or that they faced being transferred to Whangarei.
"I think we should have been told," Mohammed said. "We need to plan."
A written statement from Northland DHB general manager of district hospitals Sue Wyeth said it was "routine" to undertake reviews of any significant incidents that occurred in services provided by the DHB.
But she said the family involved had a right to privacy at a traumatic time.
Wyeth said the DHB had to "balance" the need to keep the community informed with the family's desire for privacy. "For this reason we will not release or confirm any specific details of the incident."
Wyeth said as there were only two independent midwives operating in Dargaville, it was appropriate to suspend births while the investigation takes place.
"There has been an ongoing issue recruiting sufficient midwives to work in Dargaville.
"This reflects the national environment, and has meant that births have been suspended on occasions to allow independent midwives to have annual leave. The processes that are in place for transfer have been implemented on a number of occasions, without incident."
DHB communications manager Clare Blackburn denied any cover-up but refused to confirm a baby had died. "Unfortunately we can't discuss that at all. It relates to an individual patient."
Blackburn said it was not common practice to move staff between general and maternity wards but it happened "when necessary".
