Doctor departures latest challenge for Pontiac Hospital

Keeping the Pontiac Hospital'sbirthingunit open for women in labour is about to get evenharder, astwo of the five doctors in the obstetrics unit will be leaving by the new year.

The Shawville, Que., hospital is already dealing with a chronic nursing shortage in its gynecology and obstetrics unit, which caused five temporary ward closures in onemonth this fall and forcedwomen to be sent to the Gatineau Hospital roughly 100 kilometres away to have their babies.

The unit,which serves about 12 patients a month, requires five doctors and 12 specialized nurses to operate.

As of this week, there are only seven trained nurses on the job, and CBC has learned two doctors have handed in their notice.

The Centre intgr de sant et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais (CISSSO), the Outaouaispublic health agency, is now scrambling to find replacements by January.

"The situation is precarious," said Robert Giard, assistant director of human resources, communications and legal affairs with CISSSO.

In a French-language interview with Radio-Canada, Giard said schedulingto keep the unit open "involves a bit of acrobatics."

Some relief came this weekfor the nursing shortage,when two nurses specializingin obstetric care arrived on loan from a hospital in Montreal.

CISSSO is paying fortheir meals, lodging and travel costs.

Giard explained the two nurses are onlya temporary solution, and there'sno wiggle room for illnesses or resignations.

"It's really the commitment of the staff that makes it possible to keep the unit open," said Giard. "It's extraordinary."

CISSSO has been actively trying to recruit nurses directly from schools, as well as from France, as a long-term fix. The agency has also posted jobs for two full-time positions to help with recruitment in the Pontiac region.

Health authorities are also soliciting the help ofretired nurses in the Pontiacregion already trained in obstetricsto mentor new nurses.

Overtime soaring

The union representing health care workers in western Quebec, Syndicat des professionnelles en soins de l'Outaouais, said CISSSOhas to find a long-term solution before the remaining staff burn out.

Data obtained by CBC shows that obstetric nurses at Shawville Hospital worked 582 overtime hours in a two-month period earlier this year.

Union head Patrick Guay said hospital workersare exhausted and that poses a "very big risk."

"They want to give the maximum, but having fewer people on the job is difficult and it adds to the loadand stress," Guay said.

"And when people are exhausted, we are more likely to make mistakes."

While bringing in staff from other hospitals is welcome, Guaycalled that only a "band-aid" solution.

Patients concerned with distance

Meanwhile, the frequent shutdowns are stressingout patients like Marie Pier Carle.

The Litchfield, Que., woman isdue to give birth to her first child this month, butstill doesn't know where that will happen.

She'dlike to experience her first birth in her own community, with French-speaking staff already familiar with her pregnancy.

But if the Pontiac Hospital unit isn't adequately staffed when she goes into labour, Carle said she'll have to go to the Gatineau Hospital or possibly even cross the border and give birthin Pembroke, Ont.

Carle fears she could wind up with in the same predicament as a woman from the region who gave birthin the ambulance last month. She also worries about driving 90 minutes each way back and forth from Gatineau if they arrivein hospital too early.

"It's 20 minutes to go to Shawville. But we would have to drive an hour and a half if we're forced to go to Gatineau," she said.

"That's a concern."