Libby Mettam has made an emotional plea for her plans to shift the Women’s and Babies Hospital by showing the case of a newborn who doctors claimed would have died en route to Labor’s proposed site in Murdoch.
Speaking at The West Australian’s Leadership Matters event in Perth on Thursday, Ms Mettam drew inspiration from former US president John F Kennedy in detailing her plans to return the proposed Women’s and Babies Hospital to Nedlands.
One of the Liberals’ biggest commitments at the State Election, Ms Mettam has opposed Labor’s decision to move the planned hospital to Murdoch, from the original site at QEII in Nedlands.
Despite the additional cost and expected disturbances to the already congested hospital precinct, Ms Mettam said the proximity to PCH was critical for the survival of at-risk newborns.
“We know it won’t be easy to build the mums and babies hospital next to the Perth Children’s Hospital, but we also know it can be managed and should be done,” Ms Mettam told the breakfast event.
“I’m tempted to quote JFK: ‘We’ll do it not because it’s easy but because it’s hard’.
“But I simply ask: why condemn the future health of our mums and babies to a second-rate solution because it’s all too hard to give them the best outcome. We’ll build it, and we’ll build it at Nedlands.”
Bringing up a photo of an intubated baby, Ms Mettam spoke of an email she had received from a constituent, who feared the child would have died en route to Murdoch from King Edward Memorial Hospital.
“After birth, the procedure to insert a catheter and balloon to his heart could not be achieved at KEMH despite the best efforts of those on duty at the time,” Ms Mettam read out from the correspondence.
“To save his life urgent transfer to PCH was required. This was done rapidly by ambulance under lights and sirens with two specialists on board.
“Apparently, he nearly died and would have done so if the journey had been any longer.
“According to the cardiologists on board the ambulance during transfer from KEMH to PCH a 19-20km journey instead of less than 3km would have had fatal consequences and my great grandson would now be in the mortuary instead of recovering from his operation.”
In a wide-ranging speech to the crowd of hundreds, Ms Mettam outlined the Liberals’ plans for government, including increasing the number of police officers, reviewing the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act, prioritising upgrades to the energy system and respecting taxpayers’ money.
https://thewest.com.au/politics/state-politics/wa-election-2025-libby-mettam-invokes-jfk-over-plan-to-build-womens-and-babies-hospital-in-nedlands-c-17858140
