Flin Flon hospital suspends baby deliveries due to low staffing

Mothers-to-be in the Flin Flon, Man., area may have to deliver their babies elsewhere, after theservice is suspended in the northern Manitoba communitylater this month.

Flin FlonGeneral Hospital will instead direct expectant mothers to the hospital in The Pas, over 110 kilometresaway, after an external review ofobstetrics at the health centre recommended the shutdown.

The hospital lost its full-timeobstetrician last year and has struggled to fill the position, saidHelga Bryant, chief executive officer of the Northern Health Region.

"It is that unsustainability, unpredictability andthe gaps in service that led to us really looking at the patient safety concerns," Bryant told CBCRadio's North Country."Those were just too great andreally require that we make this decision, difficult as it was."

The regional health authority reviewed Flin Flon's obstetrics program onceconcerns were flagged by itschief medical officer. An obstetrician from Winnipeg was enlisted, who recommended the closurebecause the service is unreliable.

Since the former full-time obstetrician left, coverage has only been offered half the time.

The numberof deliveries would make it not attractive for someone to be there full-timeobstetricians would worry about losing their confidence-Helga Bryant, chief executive officer of the Northern Health Region

The health authorityhas searched nationwide for a replacement, but has come up empty.

"The numberof deliveries would make it not attractive for someone to be there full-time obstetricians would worry about losing their confidence,"Bryant said. "We have been supplementingover the past year with locums[fill-ins] and even locums have been difficult to recruit."

In the past year, 150 babies were delivered at Flin Flon's obstetrics centre, which has beenequipped tosupport low-risk births.

Mothers are encouraged to contact their care provider to make alternate arrangements for delivery, in preparation for the suspension beginning onNov. 18.

There is no timeline forreinstatement.

Funding cuts to blame: NDP

The issue raised the ire of area MLA Tom Lindsey at the Manitoba Legislature on Wednesday, who blamed the suspension on funding cuts. The NDPmember called on the government to reopen the program.

Health minister Cameron Friesensaid he wouldn'toverrule an expert opinion.

"I will not step in front of medical professionals and somehow advocate for the reinstatement of a service that they're advising me, at this time, for reasons of safety, be discontinued," Friesen said, adding his government iscommitted to bolsteringobstetrician service going forward.

The service's future will depend onan ongoing provincial review of health care in the region, which will be complete next year,Bryant said.

She refused to speculate whether the service may be discontinued.

"I think we have to wait for that plan. I'm not going to presuppose what that plan will contain," she said.

With files from RamraajhSharvendiran