Two local hospitals close emergency room this long weekend
It’s not the kind of news folks in Clinton, wanted to hear. Their community’s emergency room will be unavailable for the entire Canada Day long weekend.
“No one likes to lose services they’re used to having, especially when they’re medical services, that might endanger someone’s life. So, no, not good news,” says Municipality of Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn.
For 84 hours, starting Friday night, and lasting until Tuesday morning, the Clinton Public Hospital’s Emergency Room will be closed, marking the longest ER closure in Clinton’s history. Physician and nursing shortages are to blame, says Deborah Wiseman, chief nursing executive with the Huron-Perth Healthcare Alliance, who anticipates more service disruptions to come this summer and beyond.
“Not just this weekend, but what you’ll see is more to come. I’m going to say for the next six months to several years, with our human healthcare shortages, both in the nursing and physician areas. We are really struggling to maintain services,” says Wiseman.
Clinton is not alone. The emergency room at the Listowel Memorial Hospital will be closed from Friday evening, until Saturday morning. Staff shortages are to blame as well.
“For the last two years, our staff have gone above and beyond and now need a break. We simply cannot ask them to do more,” says Listowel-Wingham Hospitals Alliance president Karl Ellis.
Three times last year, Clinton’s Emergency Room had to be closed for 24 hours, and an overnight ER closure has been in place since December 2019. It has some in the community fearing for the hospital’s future.
“A hospital is a fundamental part of the community, and people will decide to come or not come, based on whether there is a hospital or not. So, yeah, you always worry about that,” says Mayor Ginn.
Residents aren’t happy about the emergency room closures but seem resigned to the reality of the situation.
“If there’s an emergency still close by, it’s 10 minutes to Seaforth. We want it open as much as they can, but if they can’t make it work every day, then we’ll just have to work around that,” says Ian Fleming, who lives near Clinton.
Wiseman says they are investigating everything to try and resolve the healthcare worker shortage, and keep their Emergency Rooms open, including using paramedics in the ER.
“We don’t want to pull from one area and have that impact the community. We’re trying to be very careful and thoughtful before we make any decisions, of that nature. But, we are investigating all opportunities, for sure,” she says.
The closest hospitals to Clinton are 10 to 15 minutes away in Seaforth and Goderich. The closest hospital to Listowel is 15 minutes away in Palmerston.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.