CALEB NICKERSON

SHAWVILLE

Sept. 27-30, 2019

Over the weekend there was yet another interruption in the obstetrics services at the Pontiac Community . . .

Hospital, lasting from Friday at 4 p.m. to Monday at 8 a.m.

According to a press release from the Le Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO), the service break was caused by a lack of nursing staff. It goes on to state that staff would care for a mother presenting herself at the hospital with an imminent birth, but patients in labour would be redirected to the hospitals in Gatineau or Pembroke, depending on location.

This latest interruption comes on the heels of a planned month-long break in services in August that was only stopped at the eleventh hour by the temporary addition of a team of midwives. At the time, PCH’s director of Short Term Care and General Care, Natalie Romain said that the short-staffing had several causes, and they had done everything they could to keep the unit functioning. She also correctly predicted that the interruptions would keep occurring after the team of midwives left, unless more aggressive action is taken.

“Even the people back from their holidays … There’s always some [nurses] that do a lot of overtime,” she told The Equity in July. “They get burnt out though; they can only do so much. I’m kind of afraid I don’t see it getting any better.”