Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.

“We have six out of eight full time obstetrics staff who are going to be off on maternity leave, so we are closing, temporarily, our obstetrical unit from April 28 until mid-September,” said Mary-Lou Albers, clinical services manager for the Listowel Memorial Hospital.

Albers said the six registered nurses who will be on maternity leave this summer are all expected to return.

“The closest obstetrical units are in Kitchener, Stratford, Hanover, Walkerton, and Goderich.

Families will be working with their primary care providers, physicians, midwife, nurse practitioners to put together a plan,” said Listowel Memorial Hospital CEO Karl Ellis.

The obstetrics unit at the Listowel Memorial Hospital, seen on March 28, 2024, will close from April 28 to mid-September, because six of eight registered nurses in the department are going on maternity leave.

The obstetrics unit at the Listowel Memorial Hospital, seen on March 28, 2024, will close from April 28 to mid-September, because six of eight registered nurses in the department are going on maternity leave.