CALEB NICKERSON
SHAWVILLE July 25, 2019
At the eleventh hour, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) announced their solution to the possible service interruption in the obstetrics unit at the . . .
Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH). On July 25, the health care provider released a statement announcing that a team of midwives will aid in post-birth care for mothers giving birth at the hospital from July 26 to August 25.
There will still be a breach in services from August 3-5, but CISSSO spokesperson Patricia Rhéaume said they are still trying to find a solution.
She explained in an email that the midwives will come from Maison de naissances de l’Outaouais in Gatineau, and that the 12 mothers who are expecting during this period have been advised of the change.
Midwives are birthing specialists that require a four year university degree in order to become certified.
Pontiac MNA and Liberal health critic André Fortin said that many residents were concerned by the news last week that they might face a month-long break in services, and he had meetings with both CISSSO staff and the minister of health’s chief of staff.
“While it’s not a perfect solution, while it does not address the long term issue of staff shortage and while it doesn’t ensure that … we will not face down the road a breach in services because of doctors not being available, this is a new solution,” he said. “I think it’s the first time in the province that this has been put forward. I’m thankful to the CISSS team for putting thinking outside the box and finding a solution that hopefully will satisfy the women of the Pontiac and their families.”
He said that in his discussions with officials, a number of solutions were proffered, from bringing in nurses from other regions or hospitals within the Outaouais.
The midwives will conduct a preliminary telephone evaluation with expecting mothers, and there will be a nurse and doctor on hand for any deliveries in case there are complications.
“Obviously for the women of the Pontiac who will be giving birth in the next month, the medical teams will be available at the hospital,” Fortin said. “We’re really talking about post-birth care.”
He added that has discussed options for after the summer when he spoke with health care authorities.
“I had a long conversation with the CISSS this week about their long-term staffing issues, about how they can make the health care field more attractive,” he said. “That includes of course salary and work benefits but it also includes how they structure their shift work, and obviously address the issues that are more in the minister’s purview, such as attractiveness of the profession, [as well as] patient nurse ratios.”
“We really need to get to the root of this issue and make the profession more attractive and give a higher incentive to the people that are already in the system,” he concluded.
