A mother who has been trying to get a meeting with Queensland’s Health Minister says she was shocked to learn Yvette D’Ath wasn’t aware of her requests.

Jemma Manwaring, who runs the Save Gladstone Maternity Ward Facebook page, told Bill McDonald she’s been chasing Ms D’Ath for some time to no avail.

“I phoned the office, whoever I spoke to escalated it, and I got a very generic response, saying that it was with the Health Minister for her consideration,” she said.

“I then followed up with another phone call and I was told that the staff member would chase it up and I never heard anything back.

“So yesterday when Yvette D’Ath said she wasn’t aware of anyone in Gladstone, any mothers wanting to meet with her, I was shocked.”

Press PLAY below to hear the questions Ms Manwaring wants answered 

Admitting she was unaware of meeting requests wasn’t the only of Ms D’Ath’s revelations to catch attention at her press conference yesterday.

The Minister claimed obstetricians are only needed at around five to 10 per cent of births, despite most recent official data showing 45 per cent of Queensland births require one.

Obstetrician and gynaecologist Gino Pecoraro told Sofie Formica the comments are cause for “extreme concern”.

“To say ridiculous things like that is absolutely dangerous,” he said. “I’m starting to get angry because this disinformation is not helping anyone.

“If you’re going to minimise and make fun of the role of a trained specialist, how on God’s Earth do they think they’re going to attract more obstetricians to come into work in their health system?

“To suddenly think getting one extra locum is going to enable you to run a 24-hour service, from someone who’s got a PhD in unionism, shows arrogance and extreme ignorance.

“I can’t tell you enough how angry this makes me, and how I’m sure, angry it makes every other practicing obstetrician in Queensland and Australia.”

Press PLAY below to hear Dr Pecoraro’s comments in full 

Image: 9News, Glenn Hunt/Getty Images