Hiiumaa Hospital stops planned maternity care amid pediatrician shortage
As of July 1, Hiiumaa Hospital provides only emergency maternity care because the hospital no longer has a pediatrician. Hospital board chair Agris Peedu says that the issue reflects Estonia's broader healthcare workforce shortage.
The suspension of planned births was caused by the hospital's pediatrician retiring, but Peedu said emergency maternity care on the island remains available.
"Different hospitals, their emergency departments and ambulance services must be able to provide emergency childbirth assistance anywhere in Estonia, including Hiiumaa," he said.
The hospital has not abandoned the idea of restoring planned births, but that depends on finding the necessary staff. "We will try to restore planned maternity care once we find qualified personnel. Until then, Hiiumaa Hospital's doctors, nurses and midwives are working to ensure that mothers reach larger maternity hospitals in time," Peedu said.
Last year, 22 babies were born at Hiiumaa Hospital; this year, there have been 12 births.
Peedu said that with such low numbers, care quality must also be considered. "For the community and for mothers, it is important that the service offered at the hospital is high‑quality. Care quality depends heavily on the experience of medical staff, and we must face the truth that in some specialties Hiiumaa Hospital no longer has the necessary capability," he said.
He noted that doctor shortages are common even in larger hospitals. "If there is already a shortage of specialists at the North Estonia Medical Center, then in small places like Hiiumaa Hospital the shortage is even greater," Peedu said.
Finding doctors is a daily challenge. "We are living in a tense period in Estonia, where not only Hiiumaa Hospital is constantly looking for doctors, but large hospitals as well. Everyone is working very hard to find staff," he said.
Peedu said it will become increasingly important to ensure patients receive necessary care even when it cannot be provided on the island. "If specialist care cannot be provided in Hiiumaa, we must ensure a functioning care pathway in cooperation with other hospitals, the local government and the state," he said.
He added that ensuring 24/7 land transport and air transport is crucial for Hiiumaa.
Training new doctors is also a concern. "In some specialties, such as family medicine, there are many applicants, but in emergency medicine this year there were fewer applicants than available training spots," he said.
The suspension of planned maternity care at Hiiumaa Hospital mirrors earlier changes at smaller hospitals. In the previous decade, planned births were also discontinued at Valga and Põlva hospitals.
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Editor: Samanta Tsopp, Argo Ideon
Source: ERR interview by Lauri Varik
