Souris readies for another rural health-care fight

A week ago, people in a rural Prince Edward Island community were ecstatic to learn they’d be keeping their dialysis service, but on Tuesday hundreds packed into a tiny hall in Souris prepared to fight against other health care changes heading for the region.

After delivering the promising dialysis news, the province also announced the Souris Hospital will become an extended care facility, and no longer offer acute care beds.

"What's going to happen with the lab and the X-ray. If we lose the lab and the X-ray, then what's going to happen next to the hospital?" asked Nathan Bushey, with the group Island-wide Hospital Access committee.

The decision to close the dialysis centres in Souris and Alberton was announced last spring. After protests, it was delayed for a year and then finally reversed.

Now the communities are joining forces again, in the hopes of preserving ER and acute care.

"We need to unite as rural Islanders to advocate for better health-care services. But also, this isn't just a rural issue. It's going to affect Prince County Hospital, it's going to affect the QEH as well," said Natasha Dunn, a member with the Keep Western Hospital Open committee.

Health Minister Doug Currie said, with an ageing population, the province has to shift acute care and long-term beds. Approximately 40 per cent of acute care beds at the Prince County and Queen Elizabeth hospitals are being used for non-acute care.

"Those are huge pressures that are not going away. We're trying to manage those, but at the same time, making sure that we provide good access to all Islanders," he said.

Still, the opposition said the government needs to be upfront about what services will remain at the Souris and O'Leary hospitals now that they are to become extended care facilities.

"What people want is some answers to what's closed, what jobs are cut and he hasn't indicated that yet," said Souris-Elmitra MLA Colin LaVie.

Health officials will travel across the province to outline the full set of changes in April.

Organizers said they are hoping for larger crowds at an Island-wide meeting in Summerside on Saturday.