Holiday ER closures ‘the way it is’ in rural Westman

A Westman reeve says ER closures over the holiday season is “nothing new” after the regional health authority posted that 11 emergency departments will have limited hours next week.

Municipality of Deloraine-Winchester Reeve Kelly McMechan said the community has two on-call doctors, with a third coming in February, and provides alternating health-care services with the ER in Boissevain.

“It’s not the best in the world, but it’s kind of the way it is, and we’ve been getting used to having to do that,” he said on Friday.

The ER in Deloraine won’t have emergency department services after 4 p.m. on Dec. 23 and will remain closed until it reopens on Boxing Day, an online Prairie Mountain Health schedule showed.

When the Deloraine ER is closed, most residents will access emergency services in Boissevain, and vice versa, McMechan said.

Boissevain’s ER will operate until noon on Christmas Eve and reopen again on Christmas Day at 8 a.m.

“As we’re recruiting more doctors and trying to get more staff into Deloraine, we’re hoping that will change and we’ll eventually be back to a 24-7 ER, but we’re not there yet, and I don’t think we can get there until 2027, I believe, in speaking with Prairie Mountain Health,” McMechan said.

He said people have learned to print off the monthly emergency department schedules, so they can plan ahead, but he reminds people to call 911 in an emergency, and an ambulance will know where to take them.

From Dec. 22-28, only seven ERs in Westman are open 24-7: Brandon, Dauphin, Minnedosa, Neepawa, Russell, Swan River and Virden.

The ERs at Melita Health Centre, Shoal Lake-Strathclair Health Centre and Winnipegosis and District Health Centre are closed indefinitely, the schedule showed.

Earlier this week, the Winnipeg Free Press reported that Roblin’s ER is scheduled to close from Dec. 23-26.

Municipality of Roblin Mayor Robert Misko said more than three-quarters of the time, the community doesn’t have emergency services, which he finds disappointing.

Misko said he doesn’t fault staff who take time off over the holidays to rest and spend time with loved ones.

Though two doctors were recently hired, he said two more are needed, adding that the ER had only one doctor at this time last year. When Roblin’s ER closes, people go to Russell, which is 30 minutes away, or Grandview’s ER, which will be closed from Dec. 27-28.

Hamiota’s ER is closed from Dec. 23-28, Glenboro’s ER won’t be open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and the ERs in Treherne and Carberry will be closed from Christmas Day to the 28th.

Killarney’s ER had 24-7 coverage last December, said Doctors Manitoba president Dr. Nichelle Desilets, who practises in Neepawa.

This year, the ER will be closed for 24 hours from 8 a.m. on Christmas Day until 8 a.m. on Boxing Day, according to an online schedule.

Desilets said on Friday that it doesn’t take much to destabilize health-care services in rural communities due to staff vacation, leave or sick days, which can result in reduced ER hours or temporary closures.

Doctors Manitoba analysis shows that the Westman area had similar temporary ER closures last year, she said, adding that it only takes one or two people to be unavailable for an ER to shutdown.

“It just goes to show the dedication of the health-care providers that are working in these facilities to keep them open to the degree that they do, whether that’s 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or just on a predictable basis for as many hours as they can,” Desilets said.

Doctors Manitoba, which represents more than 4,000 physicians and medical learners, is recommending people check their local health authority’s website for ER schedules.

“It’s hard to know when you or someone you love may need medical care. I mean, you can’t always predict that or plan for it, but it is easy to take a couple of minutes to plan ahead, should you need emergency care,” Desilets said.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said in a statement to the Sun on Friday that Prairie Mountain Health makes every effort to maintain the staffing required to provide safe, appropriate care in emergency departments, including over the holiday period.

“Temporary closures are only used when it’s not possible to staff ERs safely,” Asagwara said. Staffing is planned in advance and scheduling adjustments are made based on patient volumes, acuity and the availability of health-care providers.

“We will continue working with regional partners, front-line staff and clinical leadership to stabilize rural emergency coverage and strengthen recruitment and retention across the province,” Asagwara said.

Temporary ER closures are considered a last resort, a spokesperson for Prairie Mountain Health said in a statement.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com, with files from the Winnipeg Free Press