West Prince residents demand 24/7 ER services
CBC
More than 400 people packed into a high school auditorium in Elmsdale, P.E.I., Monday night to demand the province keep emergency services open at Western Hospital in Alberton 24/7.
And while Health Minister Mark McLane told West Prince residents the hospital would not close, he stopped short of assuring residents it would have continuous emergency services.
The 25-bed hospital now offers those services from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. But the hospital's emergency room has been plagued with closures because of staff shortages.
Karen Keefe, who spent 40 years working as a registered nurse, says the ER is a lifeline for the people of West Prince.
"The government committed to keeping Western Hospital open. But did they commit to Western [Hospital's] ER? No," she said following the meeting.
Keefe said the people of West Prince will continue to fight to keep the ER open.
She said Health P.E.I.'s handling of the health care system was "incompetent," and put the blame at the feet of Health P.E.I.'s CEO, Dr. Michael Gardam.
Keefe said Gardam had to go.
"We need to hold him accountable," she said.
The Health P.E.I. CEO was not in attendance at the meeting.
During an interview with CBC News, Minister McLane said it comes down to staffing.
"I know people don't like the staffing answer to those types of questions," he said.
"But with our increasing population, our aging population, we need every facility and need to staff it appropriately and we need to run them as best we can. We understand that."
Dylana Arsenault, executive director of hospital services with Health P.E.I., said they're doing everything they can to staff the hospital's emergency room.
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