Alberta Health Services (AHS) announced on March 8 that the emergency department woes at Coronation Hospital and Care Centre will be continuing.
Effective March 8, the Coronation Hospital and Care Centre emergency department will be closed on Mondays and Thursdays until further notice.
On Mondays, the closure will run for 24 hours from 8 a.m. until 8 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Thursdays, the closures will run slightly longer, from 8 a.m. until noon the next day for a total of 27 hours.
AHS cites the reason for the closure as ongoing “gaps” in physician coverage, which will continue until a new doctor starts in the community sometime later in the spring.
Area residents requiring emergency care during the days the emergency department is closed are asked to call 911 or seek treatment at neighbouring communities such as Castor, Hanna, or Stettler.
AHS notes that EMS is also being rerouted away from the facility during the noted times.
If locum coverage is found during any of these “gaps,” the community will be notified.
Nursing staff will remain on site during the closures to provide triage and first aid for any patients presenting to the facility; patients will be referred to neighbouring facilities or be transferred by ambulance, depending on the severity of the condition.
For non-emergent health-related questions, AHS reminds residents to call Health Link at 811. The service is available 24 hours a day.