Obstetric Service Healthy at HBH
Western District Health Service has welcomed another GP Obstetrician this month bringing the number of Doctors providing Obstetric services to four including one Specialist Obstetrician and Gynecologist Dr. Cobus Cloete.
Western District Health Service Chief Executive Officer Mr. Jim Fletcher said that “Dr. Jan Slabbert joined the Hamilton Medical Group two weeks ago. Dr. Slabbert who previously hailed from South Africa has spent the last four years working at Nihill. He joins long term GP Obstetrician Dr. Craig DeKievit and another recent arrival from South Africa Dr. Robey Joyce.”
“The recruitment of two additional GP Obstetricians has been a priority for Western District Health Service and it has taken 18 months of hard work by the Health Service, Dr. Cloete and the Hamilton Medical Group to reach a successful conclusion,” he said.
Dr. Cobus Cloete said he “was delighted the Health Service now had two extra GP Obstetricians, and that Hamilton Base Hospital had defied the trend in rural Australia where many obstetrics services were in decline”.
Dr. Cloete now into his fourth year as Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology for the Hamilton Base Hospital campus since moving with his family from Cape Town. said “Hamilton has a great hospital, which had an extremely good reputation”.
“Having worked in major units at Professorship level, I am impressed by Hamilton Hospital,”
“The new GPs were delighted with Hamilton, the Health Service and with the opportunities such as education that it offered for their families. The reputation of the Health Service and education opportunities for their children were telling factors in their decision to come to Hamilton,” he said.
Mr. Fletcher praised the commitment and dedication of Dr. Cloete and Dr. DeKievit in maintaining the service over the past 18 months. “Apart from a two week period over last Christmas/New Year they were able to maintain the service.”
Mr. Fletcher said “when you take into account that our number of births has increased from 168 in 2002 to 217 in the recent financial year ended and that they were either on first or second call for this extended period it speaks volumes for their efforts. They also had great support from our Midwives”.
“With the recruitment of the two additional GPs and the introduction of the Midwifery Shared Care Program to complement the service provided by our Obstetric Medical staff the community now has access to a comprehensive and substainable service for Obstetrics and importantly a Specialist for Gynaecology surgery”.
“The boost in service is a good outcome for our community and we now have a full team to met their future needs,” he said.
Dr Jan Slabbert with baby Thomas Calvert, Dr Cobus Cloete with baby Indianna Freeman and Dr Robey Joyce with baby Tanisha Johnson, along with Dr Craig de Kievit ensure Ham,ilton Hospital defies the national trend of declining obstetric services.