Staffing shortages force another temporary closure at hospital emergency department in town of St. Marys
Faced with COVID-19-related staffing shortages, St. Marys Memorial Hospital in the town of St. Marys is closing its emergency department overnight again this week.
The temporary nighttime closure will be in effect Monday, April 18 until Friday, April 22 at 7 a.m., the hospital’s operator, the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA), said in a media release.
From April 19 to 21, the emergency department will be accepting patients from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will be closed overnight until 7 a.m.
This is the second such closure at the hospital in less than two weeks.
“We regret being in this situation again,” Andrew Williams, HPHA president and CEO said in the release. “However the immediate staffing pressures resulting from our current COVID-19 outbreak make temporarily reducing hours the most responsible and safe decision available to us.
“No one likes a reactionary decision like this, most notably our health care team, but it is the right decision in light of these circumstances.”
The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance has previously told CTV News the emergency department in St. Marys requires two trained staff to operate.
During the closure, emergencies will be sent to Stratford, London, or Ingersoll.
Anyone requiring immediate medical should call 911 and paramedics will get you to the nearest emergency department for care, HPHA said.
Correction
This story has been amended to make clear the temporary closure is happening at St. Marys Memorial Hospital in the town of St. Marys, not St. Marys General Hospital in the city of Kitchener.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
ArriveCan contractor to be admonished by MPs in extraordinarily rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.