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There can be no midwifery providers in Canmore this weekend because the native hospital is coping with low maternity employees.
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Alberta Well being Companies spokeswoman Kelly Morris confirmed that there’s a break in providers that started at 4:30 p.m. Friday and can be in place till 7 a.m. Monday.
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“Canmore Common Hospital can be quickly diverting new obstetric sufferers this weekend as a result of unavailability of maternity employees,” Morris mentioned in an e mail Saturday. “This motion is important because the service can’t operate safely with out certified maternity employees on website.”
On-line experiences initially mentioned the shutdown would proceed each weekend till March. AHS confirmed on Saturday that the disruption won’t really be in place till Monday morning.
Morris mentioned obstetric sufferers arriving on the hospital over the weekend can be absolutely assessed by employees and, if mandatory, transferred to a facility in Calgary or Excessive River. The break in providers is predicted to have an effect on few sufferers, AHS mentioned, however these affected can be contacted.
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“We acknowledge this may be distressing for sufferers and households, however it’s the proper choice for affected person security,” Morris mentioned. “Different providers at Canmore Common Hospital should not affected by the non permanent diversion of obstetric providers.”
She mentioned AHS is actively pursuing all choices to recruit certified everlasting and non permanent employees to help maternity wants within the area.
The Alberta NDP launched a press release on the closure of Janis Irwin, official critic for the standing of girls, calling it “fully unacceptable.”
“It’s fully unacceptable that expectant dad and mom in a city of practically 16,000 individuals are pressured to journey over an hour down the freeway, within the winter, no much less, as a result of the hospital of their neighborhood can’t present providers ,” Irwin mentioned.
The NDP famous that Mineral Springs Hospital in close by Banff has additionally been with out maternity providers since 2013 after they had been moved to Canmore.
The official opposition has pledged to undertake a significant recruitment marketing campaign concentrating on healthcare employees ought to they type a authorities after this yr’s provincial common election.
dshort@postmedia.com