Recently, the local news has picked up a story about one of the Fraser Health Hospitals, that will be diverting labour patients to other hospitals while they are experiencing what they described as a “temporary gap in pediatrician coverage,” and that diversion is part of the FH operating procedure whenever there is a gap in coverage. Truthfully, there has been a long-term lack of pediatric coverage at this hospital, creating regular diversions on weekends and after pediatrician hours and leaving women with the uncomfortable choice of either losing their preferred care provider, or the ability to try to birth vaginally because they are offered a cesarean section before the pediatrician is off-call. What also wasn’t explained in the media is that labour and delivery diversion is pretty much a daily occurrence in the region, affecting at least one, or sometimes all of our hospitals at a given time, (meaning that there are gaps in coverage almost EVERY SINGLE DAY). It is disingenuous to make it sound like the great safety plan is in place, which in reality is covering for sub-standard care and a lack of choices for birthers that are an expectation in a country like Canada. On behalf of our birthing friends and family, the hard working nurses and the midwives and doctors that will lose a portion of their fees if the patients are diverted elsewhere, we need to use our voices and contact our MLAs, the health authority and hospital administrators and let them know that this is not ok. Were you diverted during a recent delivery? Please comment below.
