{"id":56805,"date":"2025-08-09T11:41:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T11:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/56805\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T11:41:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T11:41:18","slug":"maternity-crisis-averted-as-uhnbc-solves-staffing-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/56805\/","title":{"rendered":"Maternity crisis averted as UHNBC solves staffing problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

There had been concerns that some patients would have to be transferred to other communuties<\/p>\n

After months of uncertainty, Northern Health has confirmed that maternity care for high-risk pregnancies at the University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC) will continue uninterrupted through August and September, following a successful push to fill critical staffing gaps.<\/p>\n

The update comes as a relief to residents across Northern BC where UHNBC serves as the region\u2019s only tertiary obstetrics care centre. Earlier warnings had indicated that due to a shortage of Royal College-certified obstetricians and gynecologists, patients with complex pregnancies might need to be transferred to hospitals in Kamloops, Kelowna or Vancouver to deliver safely.<\/p>\n

Now, through the concerted efforts of UHNBC\u2019s obstetrics and gynecology team, support from locum specialists and ongoing recruitment efforts, all on-call positions for the next two months have been secured, Northern Health has announced.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis ensures continued access to safe, high-quality maternity care at our Labour and Delivery unit,\u201d Northern Health said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The original announcement in late July drew harsh criticism from local MLAs and opposition parties<\/a>. Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Kiel Giddens and Prince George-Valemount MLA Rosalyn Bird accused the province of treating rural residents as \u201csecond-class citizens\u201d and failing to act despite knowing about the staffing crisis since January.<\/p>\n

Doctors of BC and Northern Health officials acknowledged that UHNBC currently operates with only three obstetricians in a unit built for eight. Recruitment from across Canada and internationally remains ongoing, though credentialing for foreign-trained doctors takes time.<\/p>\n

Despite the short-term fix, many, including healthcare workers and local politicians,\u00a0say long-term solutions are still needed to prevent further disruptions. These include streamlining interprovincial licensing, expanding local medical training, and improving provincial support for northern hospitals.<\/p>\n

For now, Northern Health says expectant parents in Prince George and across the region can be assured of stable care through the early fall.<\/p>\n

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