By Rose Sanchez
Brooks
After almost a year and a half obstetrics services will again be offered in Brooks.

Officials with Alberta Health Services announced last week they have chosen July 5 as the target date to re-open the obstetrics unit at the Brooks Health Centre.

The obstetrics services were suspended in January of 2009, because of safety concerns due to physician shortages. The ability to provide

C-sections was no longer an option.

Recruitment of physicians began in earnest last fall when the City of Brooks partnered with the County of Newell and a number of local physicians to discuss ideas which would help facilitate recruitment and retention of physicians.

“We are very pleased that we can soon begin to safely deliver babies in Brooks again,” said Dr. Vanessa Maclean, medical director, AHS South Zone, in a news release. “Alberta Health Services, with support from the City and County

of Newell and local physicians, have recruited physicians with the necessary skills and experience to allow obstetrical services to resume in Brooks.”

AHS is also providing updated training for nursing and support staff as part of its plan, and renovations to the unit, along with the addition of a third labour and delivery suite, are underway.

In an earlier interview with Prairie Post, Dr. Douwe Kits, site chief of medical staff in Brooks, said obstetrics was something all doctors in the city wanted to see put back in place.

“One hundred per cent of physicians support that we need to provide that service, but it needs to be provided in a safe manner,” he said at that time.

MLA Arno Doerksen is also pleased to see the return of obstetrics to the city.

“This has been an issue of great concern for over a year and Alberta Health Services worked closely with

the community to find a solution.”

Residents who have been lobbying

for the return of obstetric services to Brooks are also breathing a sigh of relief with the announcement from Alberta Health Services.

Cheryl Pierson has been instrumental in lobbying for the service’s return, including launching a Facebook group.

“The longer you don’t have something the more you worry you won’t get it back,” she says.

She became involved because at the time, both her daughter and daughter-in-law were expecting. Her daughter-in-law ended up being one of the last deliveries done in Brooks while obstetric services were still offered, but her daughter had to deliver in Medicine Hat.

She credits the return of obstetrics to the work done by Doerksen, as well as Mayor Martin Shields and the council of Brooks.

“I think there was good collaboration between all levels of government (on this issue),” she adds.

Shields worked hard to make Brooks an attractive place to potential physicians, while officials with Alberta Health Services listened to the concerns of the community.

Pierson hopes the system will have the proper backup procedures in place, so obstetric services won’t be suspended again.

She’s glad to see the pressure will be taken off of Medicine Hat’s obstetrics program, but also that young families won’t have to deal with the stress and expense of having to travel to Medicine Hat or Taber for doctors’ appointments or delivery.

“(With the) Mayor and MLA, I was very impressed they went to bat (for Brooks) and made sure we got (obstetrics) back.”

Pierson is also appreciative officials with Alberta Health Services saw the need for the service in Brooks and worked with the community to see

it returned.

Dr. Kits in the March interview with Prairie Post said once obstetrics is returned to Brooks, the goal is to have

80 per cent of the doctors in the city helping provide the service, meaning

delivering duties will be shared among more people.

“The agreement is there that this is

an essential service and needs to be provided in Brooks ... As a physician group we have agreed on the equitable division of labour,” he added.