TODAY marks 250 days since the Palaszczuk Labor Government slammed the doors shut to the Gladstone Hospital maternity ward, forcing mothers in labour to travel more than 100 kilometres to deliver their babies.

For the past 250 days Gladstone mothers have had no choice but to race an hour up the Bruce Highway to Rockhampton, or opt for an elective caesarean section, to safely give birth.

Gladstone’s maternity services are just one casualty of Queensland’s Health Crisis, with a total of 38 maternity wards closed under Labor, including Biloela, which has also marked 200 days of closure this week.

These closures are leaving Queensland women without safe birthing options, with women admitting they’re putting off getting pregnant, for fear of giving birth on the side of the highway.

Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said the 250-day milestone was one that Gladstone mothers should never have experienced in the first place in Queensland.

“Women in Gladstone feel like second-class citizens, unable to birth locally without an elective caesarean section, all because the Palaszczuk Labor Government can’t manage the health system and have closed local maternity services,” Ms Bates said.

“Expectant mothers have now waited 250 days, and they’re still no closer to being able to birth at the Gladstone Hospital.

“The last thing mothers should need to worry about while in labour is racing down a highway, desperately hoping they’ll make it to hospital in time.

“Mothers are playing Russian roulette, too many babies have been born on the side of the highway and I fear we may see a tragedy.

“It’s been 250 days and it’s clear the embattled Health Minister can’t fix the maternity crisis the Palaszczuk Labor Government has created.”

Member for Callide Bryson Head said the Palaszczuk Labor Government needed to explain to his community why Gladstone and Biloela Hospitals remain on bypass, for months on end.

“Gladstone is a major regional centre, it’s the engine room of our state, why can’t the Palaszczuk Labor Government provide maternity services to the people who live here?”, Mr Head said.

“More than six months ago, the dud Labor Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher said he would resign if he couldn’t restore full maternity services to the city. Well he hasn’t restored services and he hasn’t resigned.

“The situation is so dire that mothers are now admitting they’re putting off getting pregnant, because they can’t deliver their baby in Gladstone and don’t want to risk a roadside birth.

“This week also marks 200 days since maternity services at Biloela closed, with mothers also left with no choice but to travel to Rockhampton.

“Labor has closed every single maternity ward in the Callide electorate – an area the size of Tasmania and is still refusing to face up to mothers about their maternity failures.

“The mothers of Biloela, Gladstone, and Queensland, deserve so much better.”

Since 1998 Labor has closed maternity services at Babinda, Mossman, Yeppoon, Mount Morgan, Moura, Springsure, Barcaldine, Blackall, Winton, Jandowae, Miles, Taroom, Texas, Wondai, Bowen, Clermont, Collinsville, Dysart, Moranbah, Kilcoy, Maleny, Mitchell, Quilpie, Weipa, Gayndah, Maryborough, Monto, Mundubbera, Gatton, Tully, Theodore, Nambour, Cunnamulla, Charters Towers and Gladstone, Biloela, Chinchilla and Cooktown are on bypass with uncertain futures.

During its last term of office, the LNP re-opened birthing services in three communities with a fourth underway.