Carleton Place hospital ER temporarily closing due to nurse shortage for the fourth time this month

The Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital in Carleton Place, Ont. July 4, 2023. (Dylan Dyson/CTV News Ottawa)

The emergency department at the Carleton Place hospital will be closed for 18 hours this weekend due to a nursing shortage.

It's the fourth time this month the Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital has been forced to temporarily close the emergency department due to staffing issues.

Officials say the emergency department at the Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital will be closed from 7 p.m. Saturday until 1 p.m. on Sunday.

"We know these closures are concerning for our community," Mary Wilson Trider, President and CEO, said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, we are dealing with multiple sick leaves. We are in contact with Ontario Health East Ministry staff to discuss potential solutions."

The Carleton Place hospital ER was closed overnight on July 3, for 13 hours July 6-7 and overnight July 13 due to shortages of nursing staff.

"Like many rural hospitals in Ontario and across the country, the Carleton Place & District Memorial Hospital (CPDMH) has had to close the Emergency Department (ED) for short periods due to staffing challenges," the Mississippi River Health Alliance said in a statement.

"These decisions are not made lightly and not without every alternative being exhausted.

"The ED has a very small staff with one physician and two nurses working on each shift. If one of them is sick, there is a big impact as there is not a large pool of people with Emergency Department training to draw from."

The Mississippi River Health Alliance says anyone requiring medical attention should call 9-1-1, and paramedics will transport patients to the nearest emergency department for care.