Delivering Solutions
At present, only nine rural hospital sites supported by fewer than 35 rural generalist family physicians are available to provide labour and delivery services to approximately 50,000 rural Northern Ontarians of childbearing age. Twenty years ago, there were twenty rural hospital sites providing labour and delivery services. Twenty years before that, every hospital in Northern Ontario had these services. To align with Ontario's health care vision, strategic investments and concerted efforts are necessary to maintain and enhance rural labour and delivery services in Northern Ontario.