A series of recent closures to the Kings County Memorial Hospital emergency room has Opposition Health Critic Sidney MacEwen voicing concern about the pressure these closures may be placing on patients and front-line health care staff.
“Unexpected closures to an emergency room can create stress on our existing frontline health workers who feel pressure to try maintain services with reduced staffing. It can also create anxiety for patients whose nearest option for treatment would be Charlottetown, especially during the winter months,” said MacEwen.
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Thursday’s temporary closure of the Kings County Memorial Hospital ER brings the number of closures to five over the last month with some of them being all day in nature.
Opposition Leader James Aylward noted Kings County Memorial Hospital is the main health facility in eastern Prince Edward Island, and that regular closures of the ER means there are no walk-in clinic options available in the evening for those living east of Stratford.
“We need to make sure that our frontline health care workers have the proper resources and support to serve the public so that these closures don’t become a chronic situation,” Aylward said.
