A major central Queensland hospital expects to offer 24-hour maternity services by the end of this month after a temporary doctor signed a contract, but local women will still need to drive more than 100 kilometres to give birth.
Gladstone Hospital has been on maternity bypass since July, which has prevented most women in the city of 63,515 people from giving birth unless by elective caesarean, and they instead have to drive to Rockhampton when they go into labour.
