Eugenia Sequeira-Leo with a photograph of her new son Levi. Photo: Wayne Taylor
A decision to close six special-care nursery cots at Dandenong Hospital and move them 16 kilometres away to Casey Hospital in Berwick will make it harder for families to help feed and care for their sick babies, a new mother says.
A spokesman for Monash Health, which runs both hospitals, said the change to take effect from July 7 was made to accommodate the Berwick area’s ”‘extremely high birth rate” and was designed ”to better align services with the needs of our community”.
But nurses said the decision would break up families whose mothers gave birth at Dandenong and remained in hospital after their babies were moved to Casey.
Eugenia Sequeira-Leo outside Dandenong Hospital. Photo: Wayne Taylor
The change will reduce Dandenong Hospital’s special-care nursery cots from 14 to eight, while Casey Hospital’s cots will increase from 12 to 18.