Pediatric services at Bathurst hospital suspended indefinitely

Pediatric services at the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst have been suspended until further notice, Vitalité said Wednesday.

The Vitalité Health Network said in a news release that the service interruption is due to a shortage of nursing staff at the hospital. 

The network said labour and delivery services will still be available and one pediatrician will remain on call. 

"Service interruptions are always a last resort," Vitalité said. "We are actively seeking solutions with the people on site to boost the resilience of our teams during this difficult period.

"The shortage of nursing resources is currently exacerbated by the pandemic and staff burnout."

Patients who require pediatric care in Bathurst are asked to go to the emergency department, where treatment will be provided on a case-by-case basis, and some patients may be redirected to another hospital, said the release. 

These services were previously suspended at the hospital for several weeks beginning July 29. 

Pediatric services at the Edmundston Regional Hospital have been suspended for weeks at a time since July and remain suspended indefinitely.

Both pediatric and obstetric services at the Campbellton Regional Hospital have been suspended by the health authority for more than two years, starting in April 2020.

In June of this year, Vitalité CEO Dr. France Desrosiers said those services won't be back anytime soon.

Also in June, pediatric services were suspended for a week at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre because of a shortage of medical staff.

The Edmundston, Moncton and Bathurst hospitals are the only Vitalité hospitals that offer pediatric services.

Vitalité did not respond to requests for comment.