10 obstetrical patients could be diverted from Happy Valley-Goose Bay due to RN shortage

The president of the province’s registered nurses union says a shortage of registered nurses in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region has reached a critical point, forcing the health authority to divert obstetrical services from Happy Valley-Goose Bay to Labrador City — a seven-hour drive away.

On Monday, Yvette Coffey said staff have become so scarce that obstetrical services at the Labrador Health Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay can no longer operate safely.

“It’s something we have anticipated, and it has gotten to the point where hard decisions have to be made,” she said in an interview with Radio-Canada.

According to Coffey, 60 per cent of registered nurse positions in the region are vacant, and 50 per cent of the nurses who are working in the region are casual employees.

She noted that at last count, the province had more than 600 registered nurse vacancies.