Staff shortage forces Gatineau Hospital to cut surgeries

The GatineauHospital is closing half of its operating rooms temporarily and reducing the number of surgeries it performs because of a nursing staffshortage.

It has two weeks to go from 12 operating rooms down to six, according to Centre intgr de sant et de services sociaux (CISSS). Non-emergency surgeries will be moved to nearby hospitals.

• Nursing shortage forces Hull Hospital to relocate surgeries

The Hull Hospital had to undergo similar reductions less than a month ago, temporarily closing down two of itsoperating rooms.

This service reduction should have no impact ondealing with personnel issue in Outaouaishospitals, Guy Morissette, a director with the CISSS, said.

"The situation at the Gatineau Hospital will not delay the development of the contingency plan. The contingency plan, we knew at the outset, that it would takea while before articulating it," he said in French.

Surgeries planned for theGatineauHospitalwilltake place in other hospitals in the Outaouais.

Stakeholder meetings have been called to find solutions to the shortage, but have all hit deadlocks. The next round of deliberations should provide progress, Morissette said Thursday.

It is unknown when the hospitalwill return to full capacity.