Local obstetrician Dr Sujon Purkayastha says the new system, requiring him to enter through the front accident and emergency entrance after 9pm, rather than via the quicker maternity entrance, is losing vital minutes.

"It can take at least six to seven minutes to be let in the front door and when you have a mother in an acute emergency who's haemorrhaging, six to seven minutes is too late. It can be a life and death situation," Dr Sujon said.

On one occasion the time lag was 20 minutes.

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