Kings County Memorial Hospital ER to close at 7 p.m. Saturday

Administration Overload

- July 30, 2011 at 11:06:54

This is product of all these years of Government waste. There are way too many admistrators and not enough Docs n Nurses in our system. The VAST majority of these administrators should be let go and more "hands on staff" could be used. Also years ago the government built hospitals and service centers in many small towns throughout this country.....well times have changed...Charlottetown is not so far away any more it seems..Lets call Montague and Souris hospitals what they really are first aid posts and gear towards shifting them to a good emerg and shipping people from there to the "mother ship" in town.

Submit a comment

Simple Plan

- July 30, 2011 at 09:50:50

There is a simple solution for this, in the short term anyways. When an Emergency Department is closing early because of a shoratge of nurses, have a casual list of Adavanced and Critical Care Paramedics within the province. This is not going to be an ideal situation for most. Advanced Paramedicine is a relatively new concept on PEI. Paramedics work under a system of Medical Protocols which are essentially standing orders pre-determined by the Medical Control Physician. In Nova Scotia Paramedic are now employed in QE2 emergency (and have been for some time) in their patient triage department, freeing up nurses for other assignments. There is also an Adavanced or Critical Care Paramedic assigned as a "Department Medic" who does IV's, Blood Draws,minor slab casting, procedural sedations and airway control work. Paramedic education has come a long ways from 120 hours, thirty years ago to 10-12 months for Primary Care Paramedics to 14 months for Advanced Care Paramedic to an additional 3-4 months on top of that for Critical Care Paramedics. Not to mention the huge rolse Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants could play in our hospitals. We need to get with the times and start realizing that we need to use alternate types of clinicians to provide care. Hospitals are so much more than Nurses and Doctors these days. Don't get me wrong they are the cornerstone of medicine, but the attitude that they're the only people who can treat patients leaves us stuck in the 1950's. Lets not forget the Respiratory Therapists, X-ray Techs and Technologists, Lab Techs, Pharmacists and all of the other trades who make a hospital run. Just something to consider.

Submit a comment

Kings County Voter

- July 30, 2011 at 01:31:59

Time for Ghiz to go in PEI! To AL Roach and Kevin Gotell-just what are you campgaining on for this election? I'd love to have you show up at my door so I can ask a few questions!

Submit a comment

downeaster

- July 29, 2011 at 21:47:47

This is ridiculous, people of kings county should make this an election issue come October. Better service is needed at this end of the province. P.E.I. does not consist of just Queens and Prince county!!

Submit a comment

• 

  Edward Gregory

  - July 30, 2011 at 08:42:52

  This is not an "election" issue. It always seems to be. It's an issue of Health Human Resources. There is so much yabber about doctor shortages, it's nurses who run the healthcare system. Case in point, no ER because of NURSES not doctors. This is a worldwide issue, not just down east and has nothing to do with Prince/Queens vs Kings County. They are struggling with shortages too (ask your friends who are nurses and who are called EVERY day they are off to come to work). You can make all the political promises in the world, you cannot just conjure up healthcare workers.

grampie

- July 29, 2011 at 20:53:12

I wonder if the NDP will make it one of their promises in this fall's election of keeping all ER's open 24/7 at no increases in our taxes as they did in last Nova Scotia election then procede to break this promises as soon as they won. Oh what am I thinking, they have to elect one MLA first.

Submit a comment