Camille Arsenault experienced a distressing situation when she had to travel a long distance to give birth due to a lack of staff at her local hospital in Gaspésie, Quebec. Despite being warned in advance, she found herself far from home and family, having to receive care at a hospital over 130 kilometers away.
This issue of women having to travel extensively to give birth is not unique to Arsenault. Various parts of eastern Quebec have been facing obstetrics unit closures due to staffing challenges. The situation in Haute-Gaspésie, especially, has been critical in the past year.
In 2025, the Hôpital de Sainte-Anne-des-Monts was closed for a significant duration compared to the previous year, leading expectant mothers to be redirected to hospitals in other regions. The lack of obstetrics nurses in the area has been a major concern, with only one full-time nurse available and several positions remaining unfilled.
The regional health authority anticipates ongoing disruptions in obstetrics services due to staff shortages, with closures expected on a rotational basis in the coming months. Efforts to attract more nurses to the region have been unsuccessful, despite various recruitment strategies employed by the CISSS de la Gaspésie.
Véronique Ouellette, from Maison des Familles Haute-Gaspésie, expressed concerns about the unsustainable working conditions for obstetrics nurses, leading to staff shortages and inexperienced personnel handling childbirth situations. The lack of stable obstetrics services in the region has raised alarm bells, with other hospitals in the Gaspésie also experiencing service disruptions in their obstetrics units.
The issue has drawn criticism from Parti-Québécois health critic Joël Arseneau, who has been advocating for increased resources in obstetrics care in eastern Quebec. The perceived neglect of women’s healthcare in the region has prompted calls for government intervention.
Despite the challenges faced by the obstetrics units in eastern Quebec, Health Minister Sonia Bélanger declined to comment on the situation. The Crown corporation responsible for healthcare in Quebec acknowledged the staffing challenges and highlighted ongoing efforts to reassess the organization of obstetrics services province-wide.