Health P.E.I. confirms Montague hospital ER to close on weekends throughout summer
'This is the best option we have at this time to ensure safe, stable service'
The emergency department at Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague, P.E.I., will be closed on weekends until early October, Health P.E.I. confirmed on Monday.
Last month, Health P.E.I. told Islanders such a closure would be imminent if extra staff could not be hired to fill summer vacancies.
The health service has now confirmed the measure is necessary: From July 1 to Oct. 1, the emergency department will be open only from Monday to Friday, with hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A condensed Monday-Friday summer schedule will ensure there is enough coverage available to help avoid unplanned last-minute closures, said Health P.E.I. chief operating officer Corinne Rowswell.
"This was felt to have the least disruption and ensure that we have a sustainable staffing plan for the hospital going forward," she said.
"The physicians in Montague do a number of things. They're primary care physicians, they work in the emergency department, they work in addictions, they do inpatients, they have their own practice. It's not a magic number but we are down physicians in our complement."
During emergency department closures, Islanders in Kings County are advised as always to call 911 in emergency or, if safely possible, to visit the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.
Health P.E.I. said it will look at stepping up ambulance service while the ER is closed on weekends, and directing patients to care in pharmacies and other providers where appropriate.
Time for a solution, says mayor
Three Rivers Mayor Debbie Johnston said as closures at the hospital mount, it's time for a long-term solution.
We've seen throughout the whole of P.E.I. lots of population growth. Something that worked in the '80s is not going to work today.— Three Rivers Mayor Debbie Johnston
Eastern P.E.I. is home to about 20,000 people — and hosts many more in the peak summer tourism season — and she said the number of doctors in the area doesn't reflect that.
"We've seen throughout the whole of P.E.I. lots of population growth. Something that worked in the '80s is not going to work today. So I'd certainly like to see someone revisit that physician complement."
With files from Brian Higgins