Media Release - Friday October 4 2002

Women excluded from major conference
on maternity care

Pregnant women, mothers and babies will be protesting today outside the international obstetrics conference in Darling Harbour. The conference, entitled 'Best for Women' excludes women as consumers of maternity services.

"The Maternity Coalition approached conference organisers 12 months ago and offered to give a paper on what women want from their maternity carers." said Justine Caines, spokesperson for the national consumer body, the Maternity Coalition.

"The conference is called "Best for Women" and yet they refuse to even listen to women having babies. This is an example of the arrogance of a sector of the medical community." said Ms Caines

Yesterday the Federal and state health ministers launched the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council (AHMAC) Report into medical indemnity. It states that communication failure is a common factor in instances where patients sue their health care provider.

"Government is telling us as a society we are overly litigious and as consumers we need to take responsibility for our own health. Obstetrics is one of the highest areas of litigation and yet a conference of leading obstetricians has refused to even listen to what women want from their maternity carers" said Ms Caines.

"Government and the medical profession must make a serious commitment to consumer participation and representation, rather than throwing money to indemnify specialist obstetricians, who are appropriate carers for only a minority of pregnant women" said Ms Caines.

The Best for Women conference is being hosted by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Come and see the women who DO KNOW BEST (with their beautiful babies and children) in a protest rally outside the conference DARLING HARBOUR CONVENTION CENTRE HALL 6, 12 Noon. Germaine Greer is addressing the conference at 12.30pm. (Meeting Point: Tumbalong Park, near Exhibition Hall 6.

Media Contact: Justine Caines 0408210273

P.O. Box 1190
Blackburn North,
Victoria 3130
Australia