Southland Hospital's fast-track birth was confirmed yesterday, but Southland District Health Board chief executive Gershu Paul said it was the woman's decision to go home 12 minutes after delivery.
Many people, including midwives, were in disbelief when they heard this week about the exit time, which appears to be a national record.
A headline on the story published yesterday suggested the hospital had sent the woman home but that was incorrect, Dr Paul said.
Hospital staff had very little to do with this birth.
The woman's lead maternity carer had simply booked a delivery suite for the birth, which was a practice allowed under the national maternity contract.
Soon after the baby was born, the woman and her lead maternity carer made the decision to leave.
"We just provided the facility.
"The board had nothing to do with it (the decision to go after 12 minutes)," he said.
Hospital staff would have become involved only if complications had arisen and the lead maternity carer had decided to formally transfer the woman to the care of the hospital.
A lead maternity carer is the person a woman chooses to care for her during pregnancy, the birth and afterwards. It can be either a midwife or a doctor
Source
Many people, including midwives, were in disbelief when they heard this week about the exit time, which appears to be a national record.
A headline on the story published yesterday suggested the hospital had sent the woman home but that was incorrect, Dr Paul said.
Hospital staff had very little to do with this birth.
The woman's lead maternity carer had simply booked a delivery suite for the birth, which was a practice allowed under the national maternity contract.
Soon after the baby was born, the woman and her lead maternity carer made the decision to leave.
"We just provided the facility.
"The board had nothing to do with it (the decision to go after 12 minutes)," he said.
Hospital staff would have become involved only if complications had arisen and the lead maternity carer had decided to formally transfer the woman to the care of the hospital.
A lead maternity carer is the person a woman chooses to care for her during pregnancy, the birth and afterwards. It can be either a midwife or a doctor
Source
