Obstetrics an Important Program at SMGH

Stretched resources and the issue of doctors literally having to work day and night have caused the obstetrics department at the Middlesex Hospital Alliance (MHA), Strathroy site to make temporary changes to the availability of elective obstetric epidurals.

"Our obstetrics program is very important to this hospital and it is very active. Indeed we have just recently had a new Obstetric/Family Physician join our team at Strathroy and MHA continues to invest in Obstetric equipment and technology, for example just recently we have added two new birthing beds, and a new ultrasound unit for assessing infant presentation is being purchased," Mike Mazza, CEO of Middlesex Hospital Alliance, says, "But we simply do not have the medical staff available at this time to offer elective epidural at all times."

Epidural is short for epidural anesthesia, a form of regional anesthesia involving the injection of drugs through a catheter. The injection can cause both a loss of sensation and a loss of pain by blocking the transmission of pain signals through nerves in or near the spinal cord. It is commonly used to ease the discomfort of labour and delivery and can only be administered by a qualified anaesthesiologist.

Epidural injection will continue to be available to women in labour at Strathroy from eight in the morning, until 6 in the evening, seven days a week. Other pain management options for labour and delivery are available at all other times. However, mothers-to-be need to know that epidurals initiated during the day will continue to be managed by anaesthesia at night and that if an emergency C-section surgery is required, anaesthesia is still available 24/7," Mazza says.

If at any time of day or night, a woman believes she is in labour, she should still proceed to Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital (SMGH) for assessment and then transfer to an appropriate referral hospital if required, Mazza says.

The MHA's current efforts to recruit two full time anaesthesiologists are continuing with promising results. There have been excellent applicants for the positions, and already a number of candidates have been interviewed.

"We are thankful that one full time, one part time SMGH anaesthesiologists and several individual anaesthesia partners are supporting all the other regular obstetric and surgical program activities at Strathroy," Mazza says.

"It's always challenging when resources are stretched and we regret the temporary interruption of this service to the women of our community," Mazza says, "This decision allows the SMGH obstetrics program to continue to perform safely and to meet the needs of our community as best we can at this time."

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Obstetrics an Important Program at SMGH