Swift Current woman forced to travel hours while in labour after hospital disruption

A Saskatchewan woman faced staffing shortages and ambulance delays at Swift Current Hospital during childbirth. Wayne Mantyka has her story.

A woman in the Swift Current area is recounting her experience after she was turned away from a local hospital while in labour.

On Thursday, the Opposition NDP highlighted the case of Tyra Cornelson.

Cornelson, who lives 30 minutes outside of Swift Current, pre-registered for a delivery at the Cypress Regional Hospital in Swift Current four days prior to her due date in July.

When she arrived at the hospital in labour, she was informed there was a service closure, and she would have to go to either Regina or Saskatoon to have her baby.

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Forced to wait 35 minutes for an ambulance to arrive from Gull Lake, Cornelson was eventually sent to Moose Jaw’s W.C. Wigmore Hospital.

“By the time they found me a bed, I was too far along resulting in the need of an ambulance which Swift Current also could not provide,” she told reporters Thursday. “When we arrived at the Moose Jaw hospital, I was fully dilated. The doctor had to break my water, and my birth was now in an emergency situation.”

According to Cornelson, her baby was in distress, and she had to be given an episiotomy to speed up the birth.

“This is an extremely painful procedure to recover from. She was born less than an hour after arriving at the hospital,” she added.

Cornelson said she would have gone to Moose Jaw in the first place had she known.

“They knew my due date. They knew I was coming. The pre-admission was done so yeah, we show up in labour and they assess us to make sure I’m actualy in labour and after that they tell us that there was a labour disruption and they can’t deliver our baby,” she said.

The NDP believe expectant mothers should be notified of service disruptions.

“The SHA is not to publicize obstetrical disruptions so it’s very frustrating when you hear a story like this,” NDP MLA Keith Jorgenson said.

“This should not be happening in a rich province like Saskatchewan. There has to be some other place to go if you have that closure,” NDP MLA Jacqueline Roy argued during question period on Thursday.

According to the province, the Cypress Regional Hospital experienced a “less than 24-hour disruption” to anesthesia services at the time Cornelson arrived in labour.

“I can assure all members of the house that my office has been in touch with Ms. [Cornelson], and we’ll continue to work with her to find a solution,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said in response.