00:00Darwin's Airport Hotel, a staple for holidaymakers and travellers.
00:07Its deluxe King Suites now set for a maternal revamp and rebrand
00:12as a luxury retreat for privately insured new mums and bubs.
00:17We're excited to step in and help really.
00:20And we think our hotel and our rooms, these rooms in particular,
00:23are a nice place for mums and bubs to enjoy a really special time in their life.
00:27It's not exactly the private hospital, but it's one of two post-birth options
00:31now available for insured pregnant parents.
00:35And with the imminent closure of Darwin's private maternity ward,
00:38the government's claiming victory.
00:40This is a win for Darwin mothers.
00:43Recruitment for private midwives to provide at-home postnatal support
00:47is now also underway, but approximately 250 privately insured mums
00:52will still need to give birth here at the public hospital each year.
00:56NT Health says it's confident it won't stretch hospital resources
01:00and insurers, not the taxpayer, will foot the bill.
01:03Even so, Health Minister Steve Edgington says he's written to his federal counterpart
01:08asking for support.
01:10In fact, I spoke to him yesterday on the telephone,
01:13firstly to congratulate him on his appointment,
01:15but secondly to discuss a letter that I've sent to him asking for $35 million
01:20to assist us to make some modifications in the maternity ward at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
01:27Obstetricians going one step further, calling for federal intervention
01:31to prevent more private closures.
01:33When private units close, you lose the incentive for highly trained specialists
01:38to move to the regions in particular, and the increased burden on public hospitals
01:43frequently causes them to collapse.
01:45The government says its private packages will be finalised
01:48before the maternity ward closes on June 6.
Comments