Pontiac Hospital extends birthing unit's closure
Obstetrics unit was to reopen Friday but closure now extended to Monday
The Pontiac Hospital in Shawville, Que. has extended the closure of its obstetrics unit until Monday, Jan. 6.
The unit has been closed for three weeks and was slated to reopen Friday morning but will now reopen on Monday, according to a news release from the Outaouais health network.
The break in service is being extended because the unit is lacking a surgeon who can preform caesarean sections, the health agency said.
The Pontiac hospital has been forced to close the unit 10 times since September, due to nursing staff shortages.
But a lack of nurses was not an issue in extending this closure, the agency said.
Pregnant women in labour will be evaluated at the Pontiac Hospital before being redirected to the Gatineau Hospital.
The agency said the hospital managed to avoid a break in general surgeries with help from a surgeon from another region.