Listowel, Ont. emergency department to close overnight Saturday

As a shortage of healthcare workers continues to plague the province, the emergency department of Listowel Memorial Hospital finds itself the latest victim.

According to a press release from the Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance, Listowel Memorial Hospital’s emergency department will close beginning at 5:00 p.m. Saturday until 7:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Calling it a “regret” and a “temporary measure” that the hospital is forced to take, Listowel Memorial Hospital does warn “There are additional days before the end of the summer where closure is a real risk.”

Patients are asked to call 9-1-1 in the case of a medical emergency, and EMS will remain available to the community and will be rerouted to nearby hospitals as needed.

For non-urgent health care needs, people can reach Health Connect Ontario by dialing 8-1-1, and is available 24/7.

The closest hospitals to Listowel include:

• Wingham
• Palmerston
• Kitchener-Waterloo
• Stratford

“Hospitals across Canada continue to face staffing shortages, including nurses, physicians, laboratory, allied health and support staff,” the release reads. “In small, rural hospital, the only alternative when faced with this level of staffing shortage is service reductions.”