Ottawa's Montfort Hospital temporarily closing emergency department overnights this weekend
The emergency department at the Montfort Hospital will be closed overnights this weekend as the hospital deals with an "unprecedented shortage" of nurses.
The hospital in Ottawa's east end says it has made the "difficult decision" to "temporarily partially close" its emergency department on Saturday and Sunday between 7:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m.
The temporary closure of the emergency department will remain in effect until Monday at 7:30 a.m.
"Ontario is experiencing a sustained pressure on emergency department staffing levels due to COVID-related absences, vacations, staff fatigue and burnout," the Montfort Hospital said in a statement Friday afternoon.
"Staffing pressures, including in the ED, are being felt by hospitals across the country. These pressures were strongly felt over the course of the past few weeks and due to the unprecedented shortage of nurses at Montfort currently, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily partially close our Emergency Department."
The Montfort Hospital says the rest of the hospital will be "business as usual." The Montfort Hospital said early Friday evening the ER will remain open for ambulances transporting high acuity patients only.
The Montfort Hospital is the latest hospital in eastern Ontario to temporarily close its emergency department due to a staffing shortage. The emergency room at the hospital in Perth, Ont. was closed for three weeks in July, while the Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria closed its emergency department overnights for two weeks before partial resuming 24-hour service this week.
"The decision to close the Emergency, even for a few hours, is not easy to make," the Montfort Hospital said. "But we have to do it, to ensure our team is able to offer excellent, safe and compassionate care when the Emergency reopens."
The emergency departments at the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus, the Ottawa Hospital General Campus and the Queensway-Carleton Hospital remain open this weekend.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.