Long-standing understaffing in rural emergency departments continues to cause problems, with some being forced to close or reduce their hours.
Bonnie Nunn lives in Treherne, MB. since 1974. She says she’s seen staffing shortages at the local hospital grow over the past few years.
“I’m really angry, angry at everything. I don’t think I’ve thought enough about it,” she said. I’m not mad at the sisters. They need rest too.”
Nunn said a member of her family recently needed emergency treatment and had to be taken to Portage la Prairie, about 45 minutes away, because Treherne’s emergency room was closed due to lack of staff.
“If you need immediate attention, you know, it’s too long,” Nunn said.
In a news release from Prairie Mountain Health Region on Thursday, the healthcare provider announced several changes to emergency room hours in western Manitoba.
Admissions to emergency departments and hospitals have been temporarily suspended in Treherne and Melita.
Emergency departments in Souris and Grandview are also reducing hours and closing on certain days,
“These challenges, resulting from a combination of vacancies, staff furloughs and vacations, were discussed with physician leadership and staff at the affected locations, as well as key community stakeholders,” Prairie Mountain Health Region said in a statement.
In a statement to CTV News, the Manitoba Nurses Union said the closure affects other emergency departments in the province.
“This adds an extra level of strain to both the frontline and out-of-town patients. This means people have to travel further to get the care they need and adds an extra element of pressure to other parts of the hospital,” read the statement.
SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM
Dr. David Cram, a doctor in Souris who is also a provincial and National Medical Association board member, says his emergency room recently had to close when he attended a conference while another colleague was away.
“When we didn’t have doctors, and then the stress of COVID came, you can imagine if a doctor leaves or moves for whatever reason, which is what happened to us, or a position gets sick, or someone takes a well-deserved vacation, and literally you’re left with so few doctors that you have to close it down,” explained Cram.
Dr. Cram said the problem extends beyond the Prairie Mountains Health Region, with staffing in rural emergency rooms a problem across Canada.
“I think it’s clear that there needs to be a human health resource plan for Manitoba and all of Canada for that matter.” I know the Canadian Medical Association is working on it.”
Crum added that trying out new healthcare models, such as creating a rural doctor rotation attractive to younger doctors, could also help in the future.
“Get three or four doctors together and they can agree to come one week a month in a rural system and come for a week, and there will be some continuity of care.”
Sentiments echoed by the Manitoba Nurses Union.
“With vacancy rates so high and even higher in certain areas of rural Manitoba, we are overdue in finding ways to retain experienced nurses and recruit new staff,” part of a statement read of MNU. “It’s time to look for more creative ways to entice our experienced nurses to stay in the profession and new nurses to become part of the public system.”
The Manitoba Nurses Union says there are currently 2,497 nursing job vacancies in Manitoba right now, about 20 per cent of all available positions.
In a statement from the province, a spokesman said regional health authorities were working to retain health staff.
“Regional rural health authorities continue to take many measures to recruit and retain rural health personnel. Long-standing challenges with staffing and physician availability in less populated areas of the province have been an ongoing challenge for decades,” the statement read in part.
The spokesperson noted that the province continues to invest in Manitoba’s health care workforce, including a plan to add nearly 400 new nurse training positions and add 35 paramedics.
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