That means moms have no choice but to drive to Barrie, Orangeville or Newmarket to deliver their babies.

"We've decided to close the OB (department) temporarily," said John Ytsma, vice-chair of the board. The main reason for it is the overall standard of care, he said.

The hospital announced its intention to close the birthing unit three weeks ago, and has since held a public meeting and invited residents to a board meeting to voice their comments. The closure was contemplated because there is only one obstetrician on call in the unit.

Dr. Alex Riddell, chief of staff, told the board the Medical Advisory Committee had concerns about safety. "Concerns regarding the ability of our solo obstetrician to do unreasonable numbers of nights given today's standards (one in four) and our inability to maintain itinerant obstetricians, particularly during the week, were evaluated," wrote Riddell in a note to the board.

He said the program was becoming unpredictable and recommended the board approve closure of the birthing unit, with a redesign of the unit to focus on a Women's Health Centre.

The hospital's Nurses Advisory Committee agreed and made the same recommendation.

With that information, Ytsma said the board decided to close the unit, effective immediately. The four birthing rooms and specialized equipment used for deliveries will be secured for a later return to service, and staff in the labour and delivery department will continue to participate in other areas of care.

The hospital is now assisting expectant women to make appropriate arrangements with other health care facilities.

"On behalf of the board I want to apologize for the inconvenience this will cause families at a very important time," said Ytsma. "We hope this will be only a temporary situation and that labour and delivery services will be restored soon."

The decision was made during a closed meeting Tuesday night.

The board doesn't blame SMH obstetrician Dr. Adel Abdulhafid for the closure, he said.

"(Abdulhafid) has given us 150 per cent and he came up with a schedule that he would try to work it through with coverage, but there were still a number of holes in it," he said. "He was trying to keep it going, but he needed to take a couple of weeks off to pick up his family, because his family left about three months ago."

Abdulhafid told the Herald Tuesday night that he had made provisions to cover all but two days in December.

Ytsma said the hospital has had excellent co-operation from obstetricians in Orillia and Orangeville to fill in the time when Abdulhafid wasn't working.

"But again, they are just on call. You get into that standard of care, that if something goes wrong, it makes it a bit tenuous."

Ytsma said board members are really torn with the decision. "If you asked me what's the first thing I think of a hospital, I think about the emergency room when you get hurt and I think of OB."

He said the medical environment has changed even in the past few years, that family doctors aren't delivering babies anymore.

He again mentioned the importance of a quality standard of care, and said when you have to worry about OB coverage, it's not fair.

"Let's temporarily close it down, get this committee going and we'll all work at it."

The focus of the committee is to get the OB program up and running again, which includes restructuring of the department. The idea of the hospital having a Women's Wellness Centre will be put on the backburner, said Ytsma.

At Tuesday night's closed portion of the meeting, the terms of reference were decided for 14- member committee.

Ideally, Ytsma said he hopes to see a doula, midwife, obstetrical nurse, a few doctors, hospital foundation member, New Tecumseth council and representatives from the Ministry of Health and Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). Ytsma said the board hasn't talked to all the stakeholders yet to see if they're interested in sitting on the committee. Three spots are reserved for members of the community.

"We want this to be a community-based committee, and this committee will pick three community members."

Board member Debbie Hudson would be the only board representative. Hospital administration will not sit on the committee. Ytsma said the chair of the committee hasn't been chosen. Once the committee is up and running, it will look at all options for bringing a viable, sustainable obstetrics program back to SMH.

Details on how the public can join the committee will be available shortly, said Ytsma.

The committee's final report has to be handed in to the board by March 31, 2007.

E-mail reporter Janis Ramsay at jramsay@simcoe.com