A mother who had recently given birth has claimed that health bosses at a Queensland hopsital would not allow her to see her newborn baby until she had received a negative Covid test.
An investigation has been launched by Caboolture Hospital, in Brisbane after 36 year old Aleasha Pique was left ‘broken and alone’ in the maternity ward waiting for the PCR test results.
The Mail Online reports: Just hours after Mrs Pique had given birth to her son Remy he was ripped from her arms as she informed staff her teeange daughter had been a casual contact.
The new mother also claims she was informed by hospital staff her test result wouldn’t be available for a few days due to a system backlog.
She claims she begged for an rapid antigen test but was refused, leaving her sobbing and unsure of when she will see her newborn again.
Pique spent the entire day in agony waiting for her results.
Hours after her son was taken from her she fianlly returned a negative Covid result.
Pique’s horrible experience contrasts Queensland Health’s policy, which always looks to keep mother and baby together – even if the mother has Covid.
‘Everything about Remy’s arrival was destroyed by a decision made by the Covid team at the hospital. They declared that he needed to be separated from me,’ Pique told the Courier Mail.
Even the nurses were horrified. One said to me ‘I’m so sorry, I’m ashamed to work here. This kind of thing should only happen in movies’.
When she then confirmed she was breastfeeding, she said on-duty staff stated they would instead feed Remy, who was born three weeks ago.
She has since been referred to a psychologist by her GP as she refuses to leave Remy’s side.
Kellie Wilton, from the Australian College of Midwives, was stunned by Pique’s claims.
She labelled the situation as ‘traumatic’, before acknowledging hospitals are under daily pressure to remain Covid safe.
A spokesperson from Queensland Health confirmed no RAT tests were available at the hospital when the baby was born.