Susie Dumont started having chronic pelvic pain in October. In December, her doctor found a complex cyst, and adenomyosis, a gynecological condition affecting the uterus.
“I’m not running anymore,” said Dumont. “I have chronic fatigue now; the stress, it’s been affecting my life.”
She was referred to Dr. Jonathan Cluett, an obstetrician and gynecologist who recently started full-time at Chinook Regional Hospital. Dumont was told her appointment won’t be until July or August.
“She goes, ‘Unless something happens, that’s when we’re going to see you,” said Dumont.
In other words, she is left in pain for at least six to seven months. Dr. Cluett says, unfortunately, a long waitlist isn’t unusual.
“Those are more systemic problems and not problems just with gynecologists,” said Cluett, who is one of just three full-time OBGYNs in Lethbridge — an understaffed department that serves Lethbridge and all surrounding rural communities needing health care.
“I’ve never seen the shortage of doctors that we have today,” said Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen.
To combat the shortage, Mayor Hyggen said he’s being told by Alberta Health Services (AHS) that 43 new doctors will start this year. They include 23 family physicians and 20 specialists, including five OBGYNs.
As well, the city is working with the University of Lethbridge and the province to open a medical teaching facility.
“You can only imagine you go through your doctor training right here in Lethbridge, and the ability that we would have to retain those doctors when they leave the university would that be that much greater,” said Hyggen.
Adding more doctors is badly needed, but Cluett said there are bigger concerns.
“We just got a message in the surgical department that we’re losing OR time, all surgeons are losing OR time because of the lack of access to anesthesiology,” said Cluett.
It’s an essential piece of prenatal, labour, and delivery care.
“A centre like this can’t function without anesthesiology. You can’t get an epidural, you can’t do a C-section,” said Cluett.
Dr. Brent Francis explained that since 2018, the anesthesiology team in Lethbridge went from 14 members to 10.
Since 2022, he and his colleagues have been working overtime, all the time, to avoid cancelling elective surgeries.
“Rather than a 16-hour call shift that would go through the night, we’ve been doing additional 24-hour shifts,” Francis explained, saying that more 24-hour shifts have been added than ever.
“Not surprisingly, that has resulted in burnout, and this spring, we have two other department members who are leaving. That will result in canceled operating rooms,” said Francis.
It’s a group decision to prevent further burnout according to Francis. Operating rooms will be reduced from six to four, resulting in 200 cancelled surgeries per month.
Francis added they may also have to reduce to one on-call anesthesiologist instead of two per night. This will cause his colleagues to choose to cover either obstetrical or main operating rooms, but not both.
“Whichever one is not able to be covered would be diverted to another centre,” said Dr. Fancis.
Francis explained this is a nationwide shortage, and there are efforts in retention and recruitment, but it might not be enough when competing with larger centres.
“Seeing your colleagues leave, it’s hard knowing that people waiting for their surgeries will wait even longer,” said Francis.
According to Francis, Chinook Regional Hospital is currently building a new operating room to help provide more services to the growing Lethbridge population and surrounding rural communities.
“It’s unfortunate that what we lack most is not operating rooms but people to run them,” said Francis.
Global News reached out to AHS for a response on the current situation, but we were told they were not able to provide one at this time.
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