Camille Arsenault experienced a challenging situation when her water broke at home in Gaspésie, Que., and she hurried to the local hospital with her partner for the birth of their daughter, Olivia. However, due to staff shortages at the Hospital de Maria, they had to wait in an ambulance for two hours before being transferred to the Hospital de Chandler, over 130 kilometers away. Despite being forewarned, Arsenault expressed her concern about the situation and gratitude for the care received at the Chandler hospital.
The lack of obstetrics services in eastern Quebec has led to women having to travel long distances to give birth, with several regions facing temporary closures of their maternity units due to staffing issues. The Haute-Gaspésie area, in particular, has experienced severe challenges over the past year, with the closure of the Hospital de Sainte-Anne-des-Monts for a total of 133 days in 2025. This has resulted in women being redirected to hospitals in other regions for childbirth.
The CISSS de la Gaspésie revealed that the obstetrics unit in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts faced disruptions at the beginning of 2026 due to staffing shortages, with only one full-time obstetrics nurse and five vacant nursing positions. Despite efforts to recruit more staff, including using private agencies and a network of nurses, the hospital is expected to continue facing closures in the coming months.
Specialized nurses in the Haute-Gaspésie region are dissatisfied with the lack of childbirth cases at the Sainte-Anne-des-Monts hospital, leading to challenges in retaining staff. Some women have had to give birth in the emergency room with less experienced personnel, highlighting the strain on obstetrics services in the area.
Other hospitals in the Gaspésie region have also witnessed service disruptions in their obstetrics units, further exacerbating the issue. Efforts to attract more nurses to the region have been unsuccessful, prompting concerns about the future of obstetrics services in eastern Quebec.
The lack of progress in addressing the staffing challenges has left community members feeling disillusioned, with calls for government intervention to support obstetrics services in the region. Health Minister Sonia Bélanger declined to comment on the situation, citing the need for a comprehensive review of obstetrics services organization in the province.