(Photo: WBOC)CHESTERTOWN, Md.- Effective April 1, the Chester River Hospital Center will no longer be delivering babies.
Parents-to-be will have no choice but to go to either Easton, Elkton or across the bay bridge to Anne Arundel County.
"It's too far," said long-time Chestertown resident Louis Howeth. "Women have to go to Annapolis or down to Easton, so going to Easton doesn't accomplish anything as far as I am concerned."
In a statement issued to WBOC, the Chester River Hospital Center said it is not delivering enough babies to justify its services. The hospital averages only 180 deliveries a year, which is the lowest in the entire state of Maryland.
The other problem the hospital is facing is their only obstetrician is leaving for Anne Arundel at the end of March. The hospital said it would take an average of 12 to 18 months to find a replacement. Finding a replacement is a challenge of it's own. Attracting an obstetrician to a rural area like Chestertown will not be easy, according to the hospital.
Still, many people want the department to stay.
"I don't think they should get rid of it," said Julie Gustafson of Chestertown. "What if you don't have a car or something and will people make it to these other hospitals in time."
Pastor Richard Vance said the hospital's decision will hurt the town's efforts to attract a younger crowd.
"One of the major concerns I have as a pastor of this community and as a member of this community is that currently Chestertown is working to bring in younger families, younger couples who will be needing those services," Vance said.
The hospital is available to women who are pregnant a list of obstetricians accepting new patients in the Easton and Elkton areas.
