BRISBANE, Queensland, Oct. 9 -- The Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet issued text of the following statement:

Acting Minister for Health and Ambulance Services

The Honourable Dale Last

* Cooktown has welcomed its first baby in more than four years, since birthing services were suspended in 2022 under the former Labor Government. * The return of these services by theCrisafulli Government in both Cooktown and Biloela was a key election commitment and is giving local women greater choice of where they give birth and greater access to their family and support networks. * After a decade of decline under Labor left prolonged closure of regional Queensland birthing services in its wake, theCrisafulli Government is rebuilding regional healthcare and restoring services where safe and sustainable. * TheCrisafulli Government is delivering health services when Queenslanders need them and healing Labor's Health Crisis.

Cooktown has welcomed its first baby since the Crisafulli Government restored the region's birthing service, marking a major milestone for local families after planned birthing services were shut down in Cooktown and Biloela by the former Labor Government in 2022, with no plan to restore them.

Baby Teuila Seiuli was born to Lakeland parents Erika Hedley and Koli Aso Pio earlyyesterday morning at Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service - the first planned birth at the hospital since birthing services were suspended by the former Labor Government in February 2022.

The birth comes just weeks after the Crisafulli Government delivered onakey election commitment and restored planned birthing services to Cooktown from 14 September.

It's just one of the ways the Crisafulli Government is delivering health services when Queenslanders need them and healing Labor's Health Crisis.

For too long, local women were unable to plan to give birth at Cooktown, an option that had previously been available to them. Now local women have greater choice about where they give birth.

Expectant mothers who previously needed to travel to Cairns four to six weeks prior to birth may no longer need to do so, now eligible women will once again have the option to birth closer to home, supported by their local maternity team, with better access to family and support networks.

Labor's suspension ofCooktown's birthing service also meant fewer maternity clinicians, such as midwives and Rural Generalist doctors, could progress their careers or train the next generation of regional health professionals.

The Crisafulli Government worked with Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service to rebuild the workforce and clinical capability needed to safely and sustainably restore the service, which is expecting approximately 40 births from Cooktown and surrounding communities each year.

Additional Rural Generalists with advanced skills in obstetrics were recruited to complement the Cooktown medical team. Alongside the midwives and anaesthetics-trained Rural Generalist doctors needed to support local births and provide emergency back-up if complications arise.

Acting Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Dale Last said the birth was a proud moment for the Cooktown community and the clinicians who had worked tirelessly to bring local birthing back.

"After a decade of decline under Labor that left significant staffing gaps and repeated, prolonged closures of regional birthing services, theCrisafulli Government is rebuilding regional healthcare and restoring services where it is safe and sustainable to do so," Minister Last said.

"The safe arrival of baby Teuila is a reminder of why restoring these services matters, and I congratulate the Seiuli family and thank the dedicated Cooktown Hospital team who made this special moment possible."

Member for Cook David Kempton said Teuila's safe arrival, at the recently reopened birthing services at Cooktown Hospital was a special milestone for the family, hospital staff and entire community.

"Having lived in Cooktown for more than 15 years, I know firsthand the hardship and disruption of having to leave home for weeks at a time to give birth, having experienced this with the arrival of our three daughters," Mr Kempton said.

"It is important at such a special time that families are able to stay together in their communities, in particular in remote regional towns, in the knowledge they have appropriate health services to ensure babies arrive in a safe and comfortable environment.

"The birth is a proud moment for the Cooktown community and the clinicians who have worked tirelessly to bring local birthing back.

"I'm so thrilled that families in Cooktown now have the option to welcome their babies into the world in their own community, surrounded by the people they love.

Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Rex O'Rourke said the first birth was a significant moment for the local maternity team.

"Our team has put an enormous amount of care into preparing a safe and high-quality birthing service, so that families like the Seiuli's feel informed, confident and comfortable about giving birth locally," Mr O'Rourke said.

"This is a wonderful milestone for our midwives, Rural Generalist doctors and the broader multidisciplinary team, and we're proud to be able to offer eligible women the choice of safe, high-quality maternity care here in Cooktown."

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Emma Morton,0410 657 890

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.