A woman from southwest Saskatchewan says the birth of her first child was traumatic due to a staffing issue at Cypress Regional Hospital in Swift Current.
Tyra Cornelson from Blumenhoff pre-registered with the hospital four days before her due date in July. When she arrived at the hospital in labour, she was informed there was no anesthesiologist available. Phone calls were made to Saskatoon and Regina before a space was found in Moose Jaw. Cornelson says there was also a 35-minute delay getting an ambulance.
“So, it comes from Gull Lake to pick us up to take us to Moose Jaw. I was in excruciating pain the whole time. The ambulance ride was horrific. So bad. In labour you’re supposed to move around move your body to help get things going but I was strapped down in the ambulance unable to move. So much pain. ”
Cornelson was fully dilated upon arrival in Moose Jaw and gave birth within an hour. She says the doctor had to make a surgical incision (episiotomy) so the baby could be delivered more quickly because the baby was in distress due to low oxygen levels. Cornelson told her story at a news conference Thursday in Swift Current with the NDP’s Deputy Health Critic.
“The birth was an emergency situation now. It wasn’t a normal birth. It was very distressing, very traumatic.”
Mother and her baby girl are both fine.
The statement from the Saskatchewan Health Authority in response to the situation which arose in Swift Current:
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is committed to providing seamless care as close to home as possible, and to ensuring that the public has access to reliable and timely information about the availability of services.
The SHA acknowledges the challenges that unanticipated service disruptions create for patients and staff, and work to restore services as quickly as possible to implement mitigation plans to minimize any patient impacts. In July 2025, there was an unexpected disruption for anesthesia services in Swift Current that occurred for less than 24 hours. This did not affect the local emergency department but did impact obstetrical services resulting in one obstetrical transfer. The SHA works closely with ambulance operators to coordinate patient transfers while also working with teams to ensure EMS availability for response to local emergency calls.
The SHA continues enhance and standardize how all service disruptions are logged and reported, working with health-care teams to ensure alignment across the province and that clear communication is in place to affected patients and providers. We extend our sincere appreciation to the dedicated health care teams who work on a daily basis to provide high-quality care in communities across Saskatchewan.
(With content from Neil Billinger and Vanese Ferguson)
