The emergency department at Western Hospital in Alberton will be closed Friday, due to a temporary lack of staff.
The department will reopen Saturday at 8 a.m.
Overnight emergency care has not been available for weeks. The collaborative emergency centre is not expected to reopen until at least late October.
The hospital’s collaborate emergency centre, which operated between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., had been using paramedics with advanced training and emergency nurses who provide urgent care assessment in consultation with an on-call emergency physician.
Western Hospital has been plagued by staffing issues this year, with service regularly shutting down during weekends in recent months.
Anyone with emergency medical needs should call 911 or seek emergency services when:
- Experiencing discomfort or tightness in the chest.
- Experiencing unusual shortness of breath.
- Experiencing abdominal pain.
- Experiencing prolonged and persistent headache or dizziness.
- An injury may require stitches or involve a broken bone.
- A child has prolonged diarrhea or vomiting.
- A baby under six months of age has a fever of 38 C or higher.
People with health concerns and those who need immediate health information can call 811 to speak to an experienced registered nurse for advice.