Bagnall demands Kings County hospital emergency room be reopened WAYNE THIBODEAU The Guardian
What was supposed to be a temporary closure of the emergency room at Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague has become permanent, said Montague-Kilmuir MLA Jim Bagnall.
During question period Friday, Bagnall demanded the P.E.I. government reopen the emergency room.
But Health Minister Doug Currie said he is not prepared to restore the service until he’s confident it can be done safely.
“My mandate is to work with the clinicians, the site administrator, the physicians, the combined lab techs to make sure that the public has access to safe emergency room service,” said Currie.
“I’m not prepared to compromise that over politics or pressure from the member from Montague-Kilmuir.”
But that didn’t sit well with Bagnall.
“You gave me your word that this was a temporary closing,” said Bagnall.
In April, the Department of Health announced the emergency department will close nightly at 10 p.m. reopening the following morning at 8 a.m.
A critical shortage of diagnostic services was blamed for the closure.
Currie said the province has recruited two combined lab technologists for the Montague hospital. He said they are still facing challenges with sick leave, maternity leave and family illness with staff at the hospital.
“The emergency room is a priority,” said Currie.
The closure of the Kings County Memorial emergency room leaves all of Kings County without an emergency room during the overnight hours.
The emergency room at the Souris Hospital has been closed since 2006.
Those who need emergency services in the overnight hours in Kings County are advised to call 911 or seek emergency services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.
Bagnall said part of the problem may be the physicians.
“Is it not true that you’re bowing under to the doctors? That they’ve met with you and they’ve told you they don’t want it open?” Bagnall asked.
“You’ve changed your mind, and you’re not going to open it.”
The health minister said he’s had lengthy discussions with the physicians at the Montague hospital but he said no decision has been made on whether or not the hospital will return to 24-hour emergency room services.
“They too have concerns around continuing services that are not safe for the clients that they serve on a day-to-day basis,” Currie said, speaking about the Montague doctors.
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bannie ============== from chtown, pei writes: Again its the drs ruling the roost,you all can't work in the premiers city or stewarts city, again the little people are
pushed aside, and you the health minister bowing to them,you need to be gone also with your cronies,we as people
who put you all in there ,can take you out.bullies all.
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petr from PEI writes: Good luck with this Jim! But I have a feeling when someone tells Robbie Ghiz that the KCMH is located in Montague-and then have to show him on a map where Montague is he won't be interested in Re-Opening...this Gov't has no use for anyone outside of Charlottetown
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Charley from PEI writes: Will we ever stop the politics ??? Montague is 30 + miles from Ch'town, we have P3 paramedics. Its over Jim we can't afford it plus the Doctors can't be good at what they do we so few patients.
The Souris model is working out great now that they have urgent care between 8 - 8 & everybody is a winner.
Now, close up West, get it done, face reality !!!!!!!
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judy from pei writes: without the emergency room open all nite you have to call 911 NOT everyone can afford an ambulance BILL
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Get a Clue from PEI writes: Where were all these dedicated community members in montague who are so angry that the ER is not re-opening to 24 hours? Nobody cared when they first closed, there no nobody at the doors protesting, nobody calling their politicians in their community, nobody did anything, so why now? it's kindof late for bashing people now, and the Doc's should have 100% say of what goes on, if they feel they can't practice to their fulliest abilites, then they can't, they can only do so much, Ch'town isn't that far away, and a Ambulance bill is alot cheaper than a funeral bill!!
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MRA from ri writes: jim you should move on to ottowa. you and wayne would make one hell of a team.
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Former WPer from Charlottetown, pe writes: I guess as long as the emergency room is eastern PEI it is needed. Otherwise it is a vugar waste of money?
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malcolm macgowan from pei writes: what ever happened to islanders first for a change Robbie? A big steak for every plate and a doctor for all. Have you forgotten your promise Robbie?
looks like this government will be a one hit wonder and they know it that is why them and all their cronies are feeding out of the government trough with little care for the angry population.
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Save our ER from PEI writes: Ch'town is quite a piece away if you live in Souris, Beach Point, or Wood Islands. Not every one lives in Montague.The generous people of the communities helped build KCMH and funded the last X-ray equipment. Do you really believe the Docs feel they can't practice to their fullest abilities? I think they just don't want to be oncall and would rather stay in their warm beds. The same is true for the Diagnostic staff.
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J A Health First Priority from PEI writes: The Canvasser at my door during the election ASSURED me that the FIRST PRIORITY of Mr. Ghiz was Health Care and Services! And he'd see we had more Doctors as his wife was a Doctor!
Is this what Premier Ghiz thinks is a First Priority response to addressing the lack of inadequate services and Doctor Shortages on PEI?
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Bill from PE writes: This is ridiculous, Montague has enough of a population to warrant a 24 hour emergency room, as soon as I heard that it would be temporarily closed, that it would only be a matter of time that it would meet with the same fate of the Souris ER, this is a joke. Islanders from every community pay land taxes, Provincial sales Taxes, Provincial Income Taxes, along with any other tax grab that the province can take from them. However, if you don't live within the Charlottetown area, you apparently don't deserve the health care services that people that live in the capital area.
this is not only a violation of the rights of provincial communities, it is a violation of the federal human rights.
This government has got to go!
Robert ghiz is treating the provincial government as his own mafia that takes care of nobody other than the people that he dictates as IMPORTANT !
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peibossman from PEI writes: doctors make good salaries but should be paid a lot more compared to the salaries of other occupations...give them more money and see if it makes any difference in the system...
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peibossman from PEI writes: if the government is not going to keep the emergency departments open then make sure the paramedics are trained and equipped to the fullest extent...
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The Ghiz Campaign's First Priority! from PEI writes: HEALTH CARE IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY HE Cheered During His Campaign !!
WE WILL PROVIDE MORE DOCTORS FOR ISLANDERS!! WE WILL PROVIDE ADEQUATE HEALTH CARE FOR ISLANDERS!!
THE GHIZ CAMPAIGN'S SECOND PRIORITY!
WE WILL HAVE A GOVERNMENT WITH TRANSPARENCY AND PUT AN END TO PATRONAGE!!!
WHAT A JOKE !!!
Once Burned, Twice Shy !!! NEVER, EVER, will I vote Liberal Again!
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ta from pei writes: Bannie...to call our physicians names is beyond comprehension. If gov did what is necessary, you would have 2 hospitals on PEI. Then you would have enough physicians to provide the necessary health care that all islanders need. I say need not want...Physicians work long hours. They have families, they have lives. and they deserve to enjoy both. It seems to me that those people who have invested the least in their lives, ie education, complain the most about those who have. We are attacking our professionals no matter their stripe in a vicious manner. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, health care workers etc. Well, keep up those attacks and these professionals will eventually say, up yours, we are out of here. The best will leave because they have options. Bannie, how well qualified are you to fill any of those positions or are you just capable of being rude?
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JEFF from hunter river, pei writes: it's simple, we're in 2009 and our medical system works for 1950 - close all hospitals except QEH and Prince County Hospital - WE HAVE ADVANCED PARAMEDICS FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES WHO CAN DO AS MUCH AS RURAL HOSPITALS - PUT IN LOCAL MEDICAL CENTRES AND TURN 5 HOSPITALS TO SENIOR MANORS. TODAY WE'RE ONLY 140,000 WITH 7 HOSPTALS OF WHICH 5 ARE FAIRLY DISFUCTIONAL - IN MY OPINION - FROM FAMILY EXPERIENCES, CARE IN FAR EAST AND WEST COMMUNITY HOSPITALS IS HORRIBLE WITH OVER-WORKED, GERIATRIC AND ECL DOCTORS - WE NEED POLITICIANS TO TAKE THE POLITICS OUT OF OUR MEDICAL SYSTEM AND DO THE HARD THINGS REQUIRED.
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Easterner from pe writes: We need our hospitals.
Not like West Prince. Those are a waste of tax payer's dollars that should be shut down.
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