Obstetrics Unit Closure Forces Expectant Mothers to Travel for Care in Lac-Mégantic
Lac-Mégantic, Quebec – The closure of the obstetrics department at the Centre hospitalier du Granit has forced expectant mothers in the region to travel approximately 90 minutes to Sherbrooke for childbirth services, raising concerns about access to care and patient safety. The unit has been closed since October 2025, and the duration of the closure remains indefinite.
Service Disruption and Redirected Care
As of October 24, 2025, the obstetrics service at the Centre hospitalier du Granit is unavailable. Expectant mothers are being directed to the maternity ward at the CHUS Fleurimont Hospital in Sherbrooke for deliveries. Cesarean sections are being performed at the Centre hospitalier de Lac Mégantic [1].
Concerns Over Travel Distance and Emergency Situations
The extended travel time to Sherbrooke is a significant concern for both healthcare professionals and patients. Approximately sixty mothers have already had to make the 90-minute journey to Sherbrooke to give birth since the closure of the Lac-Mégantic unit [2]. The risk of delivering en route, particularly in the event of complications, is a major worry.
“During my delivery, complications arose. Of course, if I had given birth on the road, I might have lost my baby,” shared Sabrina Dubé, a mother who travelled to Sherbrooke to deliver [2].
Staffing Shortages and Recruitment Efforts
The primary reason for the closure is a shortage of qualified nurses. The CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS reports a need for five to six additional nurses to safely reopen the service [2]. Despite a recruitment campaign in November, the department remains understaffed.
The CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS is exploring potential solutions, including the hiring of midwives, to address the staffing challenges.
Community Mobilization and Calls for Action
Citizens and healthcare workers in Lac-Mégantic are actively mobilizing to advocate for the restoration of the obstetrics unit. A group led by Dr. Anne Gauvin, a general surgeon at the Granit Hospital Center, is organizing a demonstration in front of the hospital to raise awareness and demand action [3]. A petition is similarly circulating online, seeking the “immediate and sustainable return of obstetrics services to Lac-Mégantic” [3]. As of March 13, 2026, the petition had garnered approximately 1150 signatures [3].
Regional Impact and Future Outlook
The closure highlights the challenges faced by rural healthcare facilities in attracting and retaining qualified personnel. Advocates argue that a proportional allocation of nursing graduates to regional hospitals, such as the Granit Hospital Center, could help prevent similar closures in the future. Dr. Jeff Wackett suggests that if Lac-Mégantic received just 4% of the nursing graduates from the region, the obstetrics unit could remain open [3].