A Somali refugee and her newborn baby have been airlifted from Nauru to Brisbane in a critical condition.
The Refugee Action Collective said the 22-year-old woman known as Naima and her baby boy were flown in separate planes.
Ian Rintoul from the advocacy group said Naima underwent a caesarean operation on Nauru on Thursday and the baby was born one month premature.
He said an air ambulance transported Naima to Brisbane and a plane carrying the baby left Nauru three hours after his mother.
Dr Barri Phatarfod from Doctors for Refugees said the mother was on life support.
"Ever since the Government stopped routinely bringing pregnant women from Nauru to Australia to have their delivery, something like this was bound to happen," she said.
"We only know that something didn't go to plan, she's now in a critical condition, she was intubated... and we don't know how likely the baby is going to recover either."
Mr Rintoul said both were considered to be in a critical condition when they left Nauru.
"This emergency medical evacuation raises even more questions about the standard of health care on Nauru," he said.
"The Minister needs to come clean on the real standards of the Nauru hospital."
A spokesperson from Australian Border Force said the mother and child were receiving appropriate medical treatment.
Earlier this month a 21 year-old Somali refugee was transported to Brisbane for treatment after setting herself on fire.