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Lakeshore hospital reverses stand on H1N1
Obstetrician had to fight hospital to get early maternity leave for pregnant nurse
By Aaron Derfel, Gazette Health Reporter
September 11, 2009 10:02 PM
MONTREAL ? A West Island obstetrician is outraged that he had to fight with the Lakeshore General Hospital to grant an early maternity leave to a pregnant nurse who could be exposed to the H1N1 virus.
John Bray, former chief of obstretics-gynecology at the Lakeshore, examined the patient last month. She was almost six months pregnant and had been working in the case room of the Lakeshore?s maternity ward.
Bray said that in his medical opinion, the nurse had to go on preventive maternity leave immediately because she often comes into close contact with patients with flu-like symptoms. Given that she was in the second trimester of her pregnancy, the nurse was at a higher risk of serious complications if she contracted H1N1.
But the first response by the hospital?s human resources department was to deny the nurse the leave and reassign her to the postpartum floor.
?I couldn?t believe it ? that they were not supporting this girl,? Bray said. ?The human resources department told her that if she goes off on my recommendation they won?t pay her.?
Bray added that he believed the nurse was exposed to the same risk of catching H1N1 on the postpartum floor as she was in the case room. The nurse declined to be interviewed for fear of reprisals.
For the past two days, as The Gazette began making inquiries, Lakeshore officials maintained that the nurse could continue to work without fear of exposure to the swine flu virus. But late Friday, the hospital reversed it position.
?We?re revising our policy,? declared Louis-Pascal Cyr, a spokesperson for the Lakeshore and assistant to the executive director.
?Because of the risk of H1N1, we want to make our hospital as safe as possible for our workers. After looking into the matter, we have concluded that our pregnant workers (can go on leave).?
Two weeks ago, Quebec public-health authorities recommended that pregnant women who work in daycares, schools and hospitals take advantage of the government?s early maternity leave program to reduce the risk of catching H1N1.
The announcement followed the death over the summer of two Quebec women, both in the third trimester of their pregnancies, from H1N1. Authorities predict that a second, possibly more virulent, wave of H1N1 infections will hit in the coming months.
The provincial workplace, health and safety board already administers a program called ?maternit? sans danger? for pregnant women. In order to qualify for early maternity leave, a woman?s doctor must make a medical recommendation to stay home. The Commission de la sant? et de la s?curit? du travail reviews the recommendation and sends a certificate to the employer. The employer then has the option of granting a leave or reassigning the worker to a task that poses no risk.
Bray said that he received a CSST certificate, dated Aug. 27, warning that the nurse not be exposed to patients who might have H1N1 or other infectious diseases.
Cyr confirmed that the nurse was nevertheless reassigned to the post-partum floor. He did not specify why the hospital decided to reassign her.
But Bray said that the nurse was reassigned because the hospital felt that the risk of catching H1N1 on the postpartum floor was non-existent. He accused the hospital of not taking the H1N1 problem seriously.
Alexandra Reny, an official with the CSST, said she had never heard of a case of an employer refusing to grant a worker an early maternity leave. The CSST reviews more than 31,000 such requests each year.
Obstetrician had to fight hospital to get early maternity leave for pregnant nurse
By Aaron Derfel, Gazette Health Reporter
September 11, 2009 10:02 PM
MONTREAL ? A West Island obstetrician is outraged that he had to fight with the Lakeshore General Hospital to grant an early maternity leave to a pregnant nurse who could be exposed to the H1N1 virus.
John Bray, former chief of obstretics-gynecology at the Lakeshore, examined the patient last month. She was almost six months pregnant and had been working in the case room of the Lakeshore?s maternity ward.
Bray said that in his medical opinion, the nurse had to go on preventive maternity leave immediately because she often comes into close contact with patients with flu-like symptoms. Given that she was in the second trimester of her pregnancy, the nurse was at a higher risk of serious complications if she contracted H1N1.
But the first response by the hospital?s human resources department was to deny the nurse the leave and reassign her to the postpartum floor.
?I couldn?t believe it ? that they were not supporting this girl,? Bray said. ?The human resources department told her that if she goes off on my recommendation they won?t pay her.?
Bray added that he believed the nurse was exposed to the same risk of catching H1N1 on the postpartum floor as she was in the case room. The nurse declined to be interviewed for fear of reprisals.
For the past two days, as The Gazette began making inquiries, Lakeshore officials maintained that the nurse could continue to work without fear of exposure to the swine flu virus. But late Friday, the hospital reversed it position.
?We?re revising our policy,? declared Louis-Pascal Cyr, a spokesperson for the Lakeshore and assistant to the executive director.
?Because of the risk of H1N1, we want to make our hospital as safe as possible for our workers. After looking into the matter, we have concluded that our pregnant workers (can go on leave).?
Two weeks ago, Quebec public-health authorities recommended that pregnant women who work in daycares, schools and hospitals take advantage of the government?s early maternity leave program to reduce the risk of catching H1N1.
The announcement followed the death over the summer of two Quebec women, both in the third trimester of their pregnancies, from H1N1. Authorities predict that a second, possibly more virulent, wave of H1N1 infections will hit in the coming months.
The provincial workplace, health and safety board already administers a program called ?maternit? sans danger? for pregnant women. In order to qualify for early maternity leave, a woman?s doctor must make a medical recommendation to stay home. The Commission de la sant? et de la s?curit? du travail reviews the recommendation and sends a certificate to the employer. The employer then has the option of granting a leave or reassigning the worker to a task that poses no risk.
Bray said that he received a CSST certificate, dated Aug. 27, warning that the nurse not be exposed to patients who might have H1N1 or other infectious diseases.
Cyr confirmed that the nurse was nevertheless reassigned to the post-partum floor. He did not specify why the hospital decided to reassign her.
But Bray said that the nurse was reassigned because the hospital felt that the risk of catching H1N1 on the postpartum floor was non-existent. He accused the hospital of not taking the H1N1 problem seriously.
Alexandra Reny, an official with the CSST, said she had never heard of a case of an employer refusing to grant a worker an early maternity leave. The CSST reviews more than 31,000 such requests each year.
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