Laval hospital maternity ward halved for weekend as staff shortage stretches services thin
A Laval hospital has closed more than half the beds in its maternity ward this weekend because it doesn't have enough staff.
While there are many women ready to give birth, the staff shortage has pushed the Cité-de-la-Santé hospital in Laval to restrict capacity, leaving half of the 13 maternity beds out of commission.
Dr. Judy Morris, head of the Quebec Association of Emergency Room Physicians, says staffing across Quebec has been stretched thin, leaving gaps in specialized areas.
In the “[emergency room], ICU, maternity wards, these are areas where they need specialized personnel,” said Morris.
In the last month, emergency rooms across Quebec have been stretched well beyond capacity.
Morris says not enough has been done to address staff shortages in hospitals, especially among nurses.
“There's … a lack of personnel. That has a huge impact on care [and the] number of beds available,” she said.
What’s more, MUHC Nurse Naveed Hussain says there has been an influx of patients seeking care for health concerns long put off due to the pandemic.
Some, he says, don't need to be at the hospital, adding that the province should do more to strengthen other avenues to receive care and information.
“811, Info-Sante, the CLSCs: we need to empower these structures so people will call these places first and get the care they need.”
Hospitals, he said, should be “the last resort.”
Weeks ago, Health Minister Christian Dube called on medical clinics to increase their hours, and for family doctors to see more patients in person.
Morris says the province needs to deal, first and foremost, with the staffing crisis.
She says the province ought to give incentives for nurses to return to vacated positions, and to force private nursing agencies to fill more shifts.
Otherwise, some worry hospitals will be forced to close more beds in the months to come.
“I am worried,” said Hussain. “Do we see an end in sight?”
“Especially with the flu season coming up in the fall and winter,” he said, “and possibly another rise in COVID-19 cases due to variants.”
“Can we sustain as we go along?”
The Laval regional health authority says it has deployed a number of measures to make sure patients are well cared for at the Cité-de-la-Santé maternity ward.
Hospitals in neighbouring regions may be asked to take on patients, if necessary, it said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.