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Gander obstetrical unit set to reopen this fall, health authority says | CBC News

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A woman wearing a black shirt sits in a wooden chair.
Shauna Adams had her first-born child, Matthew, in the Gander hospital’s emergency room. With another baby on the way, she says she’s glad to hear Gander’s obstetrics unit is set to reopen sometime this fall. (Troy Turner/CBC)

Shauna Adams had her first-born child, Matthew, in the Gander hospital’s emergency room. 

With another baby on the way, she says she’s glad to hear Gander’s obstetrics unit is set to reopen sometime this fall — but she’s apprehensive it’ll happen on schedule.

“I was very, very fortunate that I had a textbook delivery, but what if something goes wrong the second time and I’m in a place that’s ill-equipped to deal with it, then what happens?” said Adams.

“I really do hope that now that they’ve set a date that they can commit to it, and if it does even have to be pushed back a bit, that it won’t be too long.”

The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Authority announced that babies will be delivered in Gander again later this fall, as it officially reopens its obstetrics unit there. 

For many mothers, doctors and advocates in the town, the news is a long time coming. The unit in Gander has struggled to remain open due to staffing shortages, and for over a year, pregnant women have been told to seek assistance in Grand Falls-Windsor, which is nearly 100 kilometres away.

Seven women stand side by side at a rally. The majority of them are holding posters.
Residents of Gander and the surrounding area rallied in March to stress the importance of keeping an obstetrics unit in both Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor. (Town of Gander/Twitter)

The health authority says three obstetricians have been hired to work at Gander’s James Paton Memorial Hospital, with a fourth set to arrive from out of the country in the coming weeks. 

Samantha Abbott is the leader of the Facebook group, Citizens Health Action Group, which has previously organized a rally outside of Gander’s hospital, and plans to begin fundraising for its obstetrics unit.

“I think for a lot of people there’s going to be a lot of relief, not just in their community, but within the whole region,” she said.

Abbott says the reopening of the unit means less people will have to travel on highways during the winter and that midwives in the town can begin practicing again. It’s welcome news, but she says she’s also somewhat reluctant to celebrate just yet.

Recruitment, retention and relief

The Health Accord, which outlines the provincial government’s 10-year health-care plan, suggests that diversions to Grand Falls-Windsor be permanent. That means one obstetrical unit would serve more than 90,000 people spread across hundreds of kilometres. 

CBC News reported that medical specialists, ranging from the chief of emergency medicine to doctors and pediatricians, denounced the possible closure of the unit, saying it “flies in the face” of the principles of the Canada Health Act.

Samantha Woodrow Mullett, a pediatrician at the Gander hospital, says reopening obstetrics in Gander is a move in the right direction for mothers and for recruitment and retention efforts.

The unit allows medical students to delve into the full scope of their practice, says Mullett, and allows them to get more holistic training opportunities.

A woman wearing a yellow sweater stands outside a building.
Samantha Woodrow Mullett is a pediatrician at the Gander’s James Paton Memorial Hospital. She says reopening obstetrics in Gander is a move in the right direction for mothers and for recruitment and retention efforts. (Troy Turner/CBC)

As a mom, Mullett says it’s a win for expectant mothers who may not have the resources to relocate to Grand Falls-Windsor to birth their child safely.

“I think anybody who’s ever had a child knows that there’s few life events that are as pivotal as the birth of a child,” she said.

“It also, I think, really helps for us to provide a better quality of care and it helps with that continuity of care too, because now the person that is caring for you in hospital may be the same person that you see when the child is older.”

Adams is one of many mothers who have voiced their concerns about the closure of obstetrics in the region. When she arrived at the Gander hospital for the birth of her son a little over a year ago, she thought she may be asked to drive to Grand Falls-Windsor.

She says she’s grateful for the nurses and other medical professionals who have helped new mothers like her, but knows many across the province are burdened by staffing shortages.

She’s not yet convinced the unit will open before Christmas without a hitch, but is trying to stay positive.

“I feel that if I didn’t make it to Grand Falls the first time, the chances of making it the second time are slim to none, and then I know that there’s no guarantee things will go as smoothly the second time,” she said.

“They need to prioritize it more so that something drastic doesn’t happen to somebody and then it’ll be too late.”

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