(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

opposition comments

Temporary pause to obstetric services at Rocky Mountain House Health Centre

Jan 15, 2022 | 11:04 AM

The Rocky Mountain House Health Centre is currently without obstetrical services, and will be that way until 8 a.m. on Jan. 17.

AHS made the announcement at 5:15 p.m. on Friday, sharing the following:

Obstetrical patients due during this time are being contacted directly by their physician or midwife and will be referred to Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC) to support in-hospital births. This includes patients who wish to deliver by a scheduled c-section.

This is not a decision that Alberta Health Services (AHS) takes lightly; it is a necessary one made in the best interest and safety of our patients and staff in response to staff illnesses which are impacting staffing levels.

Prenatal patients in Rocky Mountain House will continue to receive antenatal care from their local care team, prior to being referred for their delivery. Patients and their newborns will continue to receive care from their local provider following delivery and discharge from hospital.

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This is a temporary measure only. Alberta Health Services is working hard to ensure local residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time, and to keep all other services at the site operating as normal.

Those who are pregnant and infected with COVID-19 are at a higher risk of getting very sick, being admitted to hospital, and developing complications that need intensive care.

If you are pregnant, you can get the COVID-19 vaccine at any time during pregnancy. Vaccines are safe and effective. They lower your chance of becoming very sick from COVID-19 and spreading the virus to others, including your baby. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe for pregnant individuals and their babies. AHS is strongly urging those who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or have recently delivered, to get both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.

Inpatient units are not impacted by this closure.

The Opposition NDP issued a statement Saturday morning about the temporary service disruption.

“Jason Nixon has three hospitals in his riding and right now you can’t deliver a baby in any of them,” said David Shepherd, NDP Critic for Health. “Nixon is failing his constituents by remaining silent while services are cut in all of the hospitals in his riding. Delivering babies is one of the basic functions of a hospital, but now expecting parents have to travel outside their communities to give birth thanks to the UCP.”

Other ER disruptions are also occurring in Fairview and Cold Lake. There were recent closures in Swan River and Wabasca also.

“This crisis in hospital staffing is the result of the UCP’s war on healthcare professionals and the UCP botched response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Shepherd adds. “I am extremely concerned that we will see more closures as the pressure on our hospitals increases. Jason Copping and the UCP continue to hide the AHS two-week forecast on the demand for hospital and ICU beds.”