Health PEI has made a decision to suspend services at Western Hospital’s Collaborative Emergency Centre (CEC) for approximately seven weeks due to the continued staff shortages.
The service disruption will last roughly 47 days, starting the evening of Aug 1 to Sept 15.
“Ongoing evaluation of this plan will occur during this time,” said Health PEI in a news release issued late Monday afternoon.
Health PEI said some CEC staff will be reassigned to enhance support of Western Hospital’s inpatient unit, Emergency Department, and ambulatory care.
“Like everywhere else in Canada, our health care system is under extreme strain, and that’s not going to end any time soon,” said Dr. Michael Gardam, CEO of Health PEI, in the release. “It’s better to make these calls in advance, so we can deploy our resources to provide the best care possible. And when I say ‘resources’, I mean people: people who are working tirelessly to care for the health of all Islanders.”
According to Health PEI, on average, fewer than one patient visits the CEC per night.
“Health PEI is continuing to build on the foundational work already happening in the West Prince area by re-evaluating services to ensure the delivery of safe, quality, person-centered care and services,” said the release.
Anyone with emergency medical needs should call 911 or seek emergency services when experiencing discomfort or tightness in the chest, experiencing unusual shortness of breath, experiencing abdominal pain, experiencing prolonged and persistent headache or dizziness, an injury may require stitches or involve a broken bone, a child has prolonged diarrhea or vomiting or a baby under six months of age has a fever of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher.
If a person has any health concerns or need immediate health information, call 811 to speak to an experienced registered nurse for advice on the best course of action.
Patients without a family physician or nurse practitioner can access virtual care free of charge. Patients must be on the Provincial Patient Registry to access this service. For more information, visit: Virtual Health Care for Islanders without a Primary Care Provider.
Mental Health Walk-in Clinics offer immediate mental-health support to help with anxiety, as well as life events causing stress and other mental health issues.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
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Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.