Premium debate: The closure of the Ruapehu birthing unit after its midwife stood down.

Expectant mothers in the Waimarino area will now have to travel upwards of an hour to give birth. Photo / Bevan Conley

Premium subscribers have their say on the closure of the Ruapehu birthing unit closed after its midwife stood down. Visit our website to subscribe and have your say.

I'm fully vaxxed and protected, my choice. There are thousands of people who oppose vaccinations, and probably won't change their minds.

We probably know some. Interestingly the UK doesn't mandate vaccinations, but is planning to live without restrictions, they're not suffering riots or protests between the opposing camps. They are getting on with the new normal in the Covid world.

Walter H

Having just spent a couple of days in hospital, and found I was being, for some of the time, cared for by a nurse with conspiracy theory syndrome, I have no patience or sympathy for non-vaccinated healthcare workers.

She was advising me that my chest pain was the result of rna receptors concentrating themselves in my chest and that there was a lot of it about due to the vaccinations, which are just 'experimental'. Furthermore, that Ivermectin was the cure.

Being of farming background I advised her that sheep drench wasn't my Covid defence of choice. Later, a doctor cured me of my real ailment.

Jono J

If the pandemic has taught me anything, it's that New Zealand has become too reliant on judging people's abilities on a false premise: people who pass exams are smart.

It's an absurd falsity that's now gets exposed every day with people justifying social media claptrap without any analysis being applied.

Rather than focusing on exams, we should be focusing on raw intelligence: studied awareness, ability to spot flaws in patterns, creative use of available information to create a new lens or expand a feed etc.

The nurse? They passed an exam - but that's where it stops. Most nurses have decent intellects.

Timothy T

I travelled this road in labour two weeks ago from Ohakune and it was horrendous. Windy roads which are underfunded and sometimes closed due to slips.

Also many impatient local drivers. The midwife in question will be greatly missed by the community.

G&C R

In NZ we have 6 million people of which only about 50% pay tax and we have hospitals every 50 miles. If you have to travel a bit to get a service so be it.

Peter O

I don't understand how a health professional can think being vaccinated is a bad thing.

Joanne V

The reality is that any person is free to make an informed decision, whether we agree with the merits of her decision or not. Good on her for sticking to her principles.

Byron A

The service level is for the DHB to sort out - problem is that midwives historically are low paid and overworked, hence the shortage, and now the gap in Raetihi.

The midwife has made a choice; it's not for her or any one employee in a remote area to take responsibility for everyone else in that community - think you will find that is the DHB's mandate.

Li B

It's the severity and death rate of Covid that is the measure now - of course you can still get infected if vaccinated but you are most certainly have a much milder and manageable illness and than unvaccinated - the death rate goes down drastically with vaccination.

Potter O