The maternity unit at Hôpital de Saint-Eustache on the North Shore of Montreal is temporarily closing during two periods in August due to a shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists. The closure is scheduled for Aug. 14 to Aug. 17 and Aug. 21 to Aug. 24 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. This is the second temporary closure at the hospital, after the first in June. The temporary closures follow a four-month transfer of maternity services from Hôpital de Saint-Eustache to Hôpital de Saint-Jérôme between Dec. 12, 2025, and April 15, 2026. The two hospitals are approximately 31 kilometres apart. This transfer involved moving doctors, nursing staff and some equipment from Saint-Eustache to Saint-Jérôme, and expectant mothers were admitted to Hôpital de Saint-Jérôme to give birth. “For several years now, the obstetrics and gynecology department at Saint-Eustache Hospital has been facing a shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists, which is part of a wider national shortage,” said Valérie Maynard, media spokesperson for Santé Québec Laurentides. “Rest assured that every pregnant woman will be guided and supported, depending on her circumstances. We recognize the importance of pregnancy and childbirth in a woman’s life. That is why we are committed to reassuring them and maintaining high-quality services.” During these periods of temporary closure, pregnant women are advised to contact the maternity unit via 450 473-6811, extension 42180 before travelling. An obstetric nurse is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to assess patients and refer them to a nearby hospital or the most appropriate health-care service, depending on the situation. Pregnant women at 36 weeks’ gestation or more have been contacted as a precautionary measure to facilitate their care pathway leading up to childbirth, Maynard told CTV News. According to Santé Québec Laurentides, there are currently five full-time obstetricians and gynecologists at Hôpital de Saint-Eustache out of a total of nine available posts. During the transfer period where resources from Hôpital de Saint-Eustache were diverted to Hôpital de Saint-Jérôme, there were three full-time obstetricians and gynecologists. “We are making every effort to resolve this situation in the longer term,” Maynard said. According to Maynard, Sante-Québec Laurentides has undertaken several recruitment initiatives to address the hospital’s shortage. This includes efforts through the Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec and the Association des obstétriciens-gynécologues du Québec (AOGQ), as well as targeting clinical nurses and nurse practitioners specializing in adult care and international recruitment. Shortage extends across Quebec The shortage of obstetricians and gynecologists extends across Quebec and Canada, according to the Quebec Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AOGQ). Hôpital d’Alma, Hôpital and CLSC de Sept-Îles, Hôpital de Granby, Hôpital Notre-Dame-de-Fatima, and Hôpital du Haut-Richelieu have recently experienced, or are currently experiencing, closures because of shortages, according to the association. “We’ve been working very closely with Sante-Québec and the government to explain the situation of obstetricians and gynecologists in the province, which is very problematic,” said Dr. Vanessa Picard Fortin, who sits on the board of the association and is the head of the Centre d’obstétrique et de gynécologie de la Cité. “We’ve had repeated closures because this situation is not addressed.” In Quebec, there are 564 obstetricians and gynecologists, and 42 vacancies. Picard Fortin said several factors are contributing to the shortage in Quebec, including a capped number of medical residency spots for new specialists, a limited number of obstetricians who perform emergency surgeries, and early retirement due to the demanding nature of the profession. She also said the current agreement between the government and obstetricians and gynecologists makes it difficult for specialists to replace colleagues in other parts of the province, and that resources are not distributed optimally according to population size and demand in each area of the province. “We are doing our very best to try to limit the occurrences of closures, and trying to convince the government, but these closures are unavoidable at this time,” Picard Fortin said.
