Alexandria, Ont. hospital reopens some overnight emergency services
The Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria, Ont. has reopened its ER to 24 hour service, but only for part of the week.
The hospital closed its emergency room overnights from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. starting July 15, with the intention of having full 24-hour service return in two weeks.
But in a news release Tuesday, the hospital said staffing shortages will keep the ER closed overnight on weekends.
"Given the extreme staffing pressures we have been experiencing, we are not yet in a position to open fully seven days per week," the release said.
The hospital's ER will be open all day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but will only operate between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The plan is to be in place until Aug. 22.
"We remain committed to exploring all options to stabilize staffing, return to normal operations and to ensure the continued safety of our patients and staff," said hospital president and CEO Robert Alldred-Hughes. "The hospital has been actively recruiting new nurses, working with temporary staffing agencies, welcoming nurses back from leaves of absence, and assessing alternate models of care to address the system wide Health Human Resource shortage that we are experiencing at HGMH."
Residents are reminded to call 9-1-1 if experiencing severe shortness of breath, chest pain, severe bleeding or periods of unconsciousness. Ambulances will be redirected to the Cornwall Community Hospital or the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital when the ER is closed.
If you are experiencing less severe symptoms that still require immediate care, the HGMH asks you to drive to a neighbouring hospital.
The ER in Alexandria is just one of many forced to cut its hours or temporarily close because of staffing shortages linked to burnout, fatigue and COVID-19 related absences.
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones told CP24 on Tuesday that the closures of emergency departments across the province is "disturbing" but she would not acknowledge whether the series of shutdowns is acceptable.
"I want to reassure people that Ontario Health is a major part of the plan to work with those local hospitals to make sure that they have the capacity and all the options have been put on the table," Jones said.
--With files from CTV's Nate Vandermeer and Hannah Alberga.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What's a Barnacle? It's yellow, sticks and screams if you try to pry it off your car
Barnacles, bright yellow devices used to make sure parking scofflaws pay their tickets, could soon be making their way to cities across Canada.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
A Nigerian chess champion plays the royal game for 60 hours - a new global chess record
A Nigerian chess champion and child education advocate played chess nonstop for 60 hours in New York City's Times Square to break the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.