Horizon Health says Waterville Labour and Birth Unit to be closed for one week
Labour and birth services will be temporarily unavailable at Horizon’s Upper River Valley Hospital (URVH) from Sunday, April 20, to Sunday, April 27.
All pregnant individuals who would normally deliver their babies at URVH will need to travel to Horizon’s Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital (DECRH) in Fredericton.
The reason for this change is the availability of physicians to provide emergency caesarian sections (C-sections).
Even if a pregnant individual feels they are low-risk and do not require a C-section, they must still travel to the DECRH for labour and birth, as pregnancy-related issues and emergencies can quickly arise during childbirth.
All individuals in the URVH service area who are 35 weeks pregnant and over have been contacted by Horizon nursing staff.
In an April 18 news release, Horizon said it is “committed to providing all pregnant New Brunswickers with safe, high-quality care close to home. Recruitment to strengthen labour and birth services at URVH remains a high priority. Please be assured that all pregnant individuals will receive safe and quality care at any Horizon facility while we work to fill these service gaps.”
