‘TEMPORARY?’ AFTER SOME 50 BIRTHS IN HUNTSVILLE, MAHC STILL UNCERTAIN ABOUT LETTING MOMS GIVE BIRTH TO BABIES AGAIN BACK IN BRACEBRIDGE
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
MUSKOKA — Almost three months after moving obstetric services to Huntsville, MAHC remains unsure of whether to allow moms to routinely give birth to their babies at South Muskoka Memorial Hospital.
During that time about dozen newborns have emerged single-sited at Huntsville District Memorial Hospital. Annually just over 200 babies are born in Muskoka, MAHC said during debate over new district hospitals.
When the move to one hospital was made in early March, it was said to be “temporary.”
MAHC just isn’t sure what temporary means.
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare says in a release May 28 that “following the recent temporary consolidation of obstetrical services to the Huntsville District Memorial Hospital (HDMH) Site, Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) continues to work closely with system partners to evaluate options for labour and delivery services in Muskoka.”
They say weekly meetings are taking place with Ontario Health and internal teams to actively review challenges, explore solutions, and monitor system capacity and patient safety.
“We are also maintaining open lines of communication with the Ministry of Health to better understand the path forward.
“We know how important local access to labour and delivery services is to the families of Muskoka,” Cheryl Harrison, president and CEO said. “We remain committed to ensuring safe, high-quality obstetrical care for all residents of Muskoka, both now and into the future.”
While emergency care can be accessed at the South Muskoka Memorial Hospital (SMMH) Site, all labour and delivery services continue to be provided at the HDMH Site during this temporary transition.
“This is a challenging but necessary step to protect patient safety,” says Dr. Sheena Branigan, chief of obstetrics. “Our teams are engaged in thoughtful planning, and I’m optimistic that this collaborative process will help shape a strong and sustainable future for obstetrical care in our region.”
“We anticipate having more information to share in the coming weeks.”
They say for any questions about your care plan, please contact your healthcare provider.
See original March 11 story here about obstetrics move.
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