GANDER, N.L. — While a date couldn’t be provided, Central Health has shed some light on a long-standing issue in Gander.
The obstetrics department has been experiencing a doctor shortage for some time, and the diversion of services to Grand Falls-Windsor hasn’t been an uncommon practice.
As a result, an ongoing midwifery pilot project with the rural component set at James Patton Memorial Hospital hasn’t been able to get off the ground.
Central Health’s CEO Andrée Robichaud said at a board of trustees meeting in Gander Jan. 22, the regional health authority is closer than ever in its endeavor to re-establish services.
Robichaud said it has 2.5 obstetricians in place, with another interested in providing locum coverage that could potentially transition into part-time work.
She also said a general practitioner who carries out obstetrics work in other regions of the province has demonstrated an interest in helping get the program up and running again. There have been family practitioners in Gander that are looking to make a return to obstetrics as well, Robichaud said.
Central Health is working with an institution in Toronto to provide training so family doctors can provide support.
On the midwifery front, one midwife is scheduled to begin work in May, with two others scheduled to take up posts this fall.
“Once we finalize all of these pieces we will be in a position to provide a date on when obstetrics can be re-established in Gander,” she said. “I know it’s been difficult for the community and some of the programs, but we’ve been working really hard to bring all these pieces together… we want a very robust program that is supported by primary-care providers and obstetricians.”
Related: Central Health announces progress eight months after external review
Obstetrical services needed to move Gander midwifery forward
