Labour and birth services paused at Waterville hospital due to doctor shortage

Thinh Nguyen · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 18, 2025 9:58 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Expectant parents successful the Waterville, N.B. country volition request to set their plans for a week.

Horizon Health Network has announced that labour and commencement services astatine the Upper River Valley Hospital successful Waterville volition beryllium unavailable from April 20 to 27.

In a quality merchandise Friday, Horizon said anyone readying to present their babe astatine the Waterville infirmary during this clip volition request to spell to the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital successful Fredericton, which is about 117 kilometres away.

Horizon said this impermanent alteration is owed to the availability of physicians who tin execute exigency C-sections.

"Even if a large idiosyncratic feels they are low-risk and bash not necessitate a C-section, they indispensable inactive question to the DECRH for labour and birth, arsenic pregnancy-related issues and exigency situations tin rapidly originate during childbirth," the merchandise said.

Everyone successful the Upper River Valley Hospital work country who is 35 weeks large oregon much has been notified of the change.