There has been a baby boom at South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) with a rise in the number of babies born in the hospital in the past year with Trust officials believing it is the hospitals single room accommodation that is attracting people.
Mary McKenna, assistant director of health care and lead nurse of women and children’s services at the Western Trust explained during a media briefing that the rise is due in part to women from other Trusts electing to have their babies in SWAH.
In 2019, there were 1,197 deliveries, in 2020, there were 1,167 deliveries and in 2021, there were 1,286 deliveries.
Explaining, Ms. McKenna said: "We believe this is because people are choosing to come to the South West Acute, because we have single room accommodation.”
“With Covid, needless to say, people are very fearful going into hospital and going into environments where they think they’re at risk.”
Many of those who opt to have babies in SWAH are patients of the Southern Trust and live in areas such as the Clogher Valley and Dungannon.
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