A couple’s recent experience at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in South Brisbane has sparked significant discourse regarding the hospital’s restrictive policies on pregnancy terminations. The Sisters of Mercy opened Mater in 1906. Today, it shines as Australia’s biggest provider of maternity services, delivering one of every five Queensland babies. The couple’s ordeal has raised questions about the hospital’s commitment to compassionate care, a value the organization claims remains at its core today.
Mums Elisa and her partner Brent, who wanted to access Mater private-for-profit outpatient services, soon found themselves facing a dark reality. Mater’s policies permit terminations only if the mother’s life is endangered. This limitation made Elisa feel isolated and unsettled as she dealt with a painful decision about her pregnancy. She emphasized the emotional toll, stating, “Having a religious doctrine taking away this service that I as a Queenslander am eligible for, a termination for medical reasons, or a termination for any reasons, was absolutely devastating.”
Mater’s Policies and Their Impact
Mater’s paternalistic model of care which makes access to termination services difficult has long been a reality that women have faced. Elisa’s story demonstrates the disturbing gap in services for patients who need to seek terminations for medical reasons. This happens even if the hospital is a tertiary-level facility, staffed and resourced to provide complex gynecological care.
Elisa described just how serious her situation was, including the fact that waiting too long for a termination could be fatal. “One of the main issues with this is if a woman waits or is delayed until 16 weeks to proceed to termination, it is unsafe to proceed surgically under anaesthesia and they have no option but to proceed to a medical termination where mid-trimester labour is induced and she has to deliver the baby vaginally whilst completely aware of what is going on,” she said.
Dr Erica Millar, a leading expert in this field, and Australia’s first woman to be trained in urogynaecology. “I regularly see couples who have had a significant foetal genetic or structural diagnosis made, often lethal, and want to pursue termination as an option and are frequently told, ‘We can’t help you,’” she stated. This unfortunate reality leaves countless patients in heartbreaking predicaments with no reasonable choice for care.
The Role of Mater and Broader Implications
The Mater institution members triumphantly proclaim that they have abided by all states and federal health guidelines. This involves full compliance with the Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018. A spokesperson for Mater stated, “Mater complies with all state and federal legislative health requirements including the Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018, including the provision of termination pathways for private and public patients.” Advocates say the hospital’s practices put up substantial hurdles for patients looking to undergo the medically indicated procedures.
Liliana Montague, chief executive of Children by Choice, highlighted that access to abortion remains a challenge across various healthcare settings in Australia. She continued on to stress how desperate many pregnant women are when they contact her service. Frequently, they’re not able to receive terminations via Mater. Montague’s voice is an urgent call to remove these barriers as quickly as possible so we can compassionately and effectively address women’s healthcare needs.
Dr. Millar raised further concerns about how public funds are allocated to hospitals that refuse to provide certain gynecological services. “I think we should be asking the question of whether or not public funds should be directed to hospitals that are refusing to provide certain gynecological services,” she remarked.
Future Considerations and Community Response
Elisa’s story is not only a personal story, it is a powerful testament from patients, or rather, patient advocates like Elisa who have fought the good fight. She expressed her desire for change, stating, “I want to make sure no other woman, no other parents have to go through the same torture that we’ve been through.” The emotional toll that having to make these hard choices without the proper resources can have weighs heavily on families and creates scars that long endure.
Reproductive rights discussions are still very much ongoing. Australia is changing quickly and hugely. This new urgency requires hospitals such as Mater to reconsider policies that restrict access. Advocates contend that delivering the highest quality, most comprehensive care possible is a moral and legal imperative.
Montague highlighted that the healthcare experience should be safe, as well as caring. As the son of a migrant farmer, he urged action now to break the current obstacles. “It’s about making the journey as risk-free and compassionate as possible and we’d like to see the changes to those barriers … removed as quickly as possible,” she stated.
