Alberta's NDP is calling on the finance minister to ensure hospitals across the province have the resources they need to reopen. .On Tuesday, Alberta's NDP said obstetrics at the Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre have been closed since Sept. 20, 2021 according to Alberta Health Services..“This is cruel to expectant parents,” said NDP Status of Women critic Janis Irwin..“Birth is an exciting but uncertain time. The UCP’s mismanagement of health care has forced families in rural communities to travel hundreds of kilometres and pay extra costs in transportation and accommodation while the cost of everything from food, utilities, and housing continues to increase.”.Jason Nixon is the MLA for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre as well as the Alberta Finance minister..Obstetrics in Sundre have been closed since April 6, 2020 and Rocky Mountain House has had a reduction in acute care since Dec. 10, 2021, Alberta's NDP said in a news release..“Minister Nixon must answer when these hospitals will reopen,” said Irwin..“Two communities in his own riding haven’t had access to obstetrics for over a year. Continued hospital closures in central Alberta have put more pressure on Red Deer and surrounding communities.”.NDP Health critic David Shepherd also called on Nixon to ensure hospitals across the province have the resources they need to reopen..“The finance minister’s priority should be to ensure that services Albertans rely on are available and accessible, but dozens of hospitals are fully or partially closed, including three in the finance minister's own riding," Shepherd said..According to Alberta's NDP, the UCP’s "war on healthcare workers" and "mismanagement of the system has driven healthcare into chaos."."Tens of thousands of Albertans have lost their family doctor. It is taking longer to access emergency rooms and Albertans are unsure an ambulance will arrive when they need one. The UCP must tell Albertans today how they will ensure that healthcare is available for all Albertans where and when they need it," said Shepherd..A spokesperson with AHS told the Western Standard AHS initially paused obstetrical services at the Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre as part of the pandemic response measures implemented to help address the pressures due to increased COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.."This allowed us to redeploy resources to areas of greater need and support continued operation of the emergency department, as well as the reopening of acute care beds that were previously closed due to staffing challenges," Kerry Williamson, from AHS communications, said..Williamson said due to ongoing challenges with the recruitment and retention of staff with training and experience in providing obstetrical care, AHS continues to divert deliveries to other facilities at this time in the interest of "patient safety.".According to Williamson, obstetric patients presenting to the ED continue to be assessed by the on-call physician as appropriate before they are transferred. Should a labouring patient present at the site too far along to safely be transported, emergency care will be provided at the site.."Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre, like the Myron Thompson Health Centre in Sundre, has supported low-risk deliveries previously, but without access to surgical and anesthesiology support on site. As such, complex, higher-risk births have always been referred to other facilities to provide access to surgical intervention if required, or if a patient wanted the option of an epidural as part of their birth plan," said Williamson..According to AHS, the majority of obstetrical patients in these communities were already choosing to access care elsewhere.."We remain committed to maintaining obstetrics at all sites where it was available before the pandemic, but COVID has made it even more challenging to maintain access to this service at smaller sites," said Williamson..In the 2020/21 fiscal year, 81% of deliveries by patients from the Rimbey area were at alternative sites, including Ponoka, Red Deer and Rocky Mountain House. Comparatively, in the 2019/20 fiscal year, 78% of deliveries by patients from the Sundre area were at alternative sites in the Central Zone..AHS said obstetrics requires specialized training and regular opportunity to utilize those skills in order to ensure safe, appropriate supports for mothers and newborns.."Given the declining number of births at sites prior to the pandemic, we have heard concerns from staff and physicians alike regarding challenges they face in maintaining the specialized skills required to deliver babies," Williamson said.
