Overnight closure of Boyle emergency department to extend to 7 months
Alberta Health Services has announced the overnight closure of the emergency department at Boyle Healthcare Centre will be extended to Jan. 3, meaning residents in the community will have been without overnight emergency services for seven months.
The overnight closure of the emergency department began on July 1 due to staffing shortages.
When the closure was initially announced, AHS said the facility would reopen for overnight care on Aug. 1.
This announcement marks the fourth time that window has been extended.
The emergency department is currently open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
In a notice on its website, AHS says patient care is a top priority.
“Patient safety and care remain the highest priorities for AHS. The organization is working hard to ensure everyone will receive the care they need through its partnership with EMS and a robust regional network of healthcare centres.”
But as of Nov. 29, the AHS website listing health-care facility service disruptions and closures showed disruptions at 30 sites.
The province says it is working aggressively to recruit new health care professionals for rural locations.
Boyle has a population of about 780, according to the Alberta Regional Dashboard.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Kyra Markov.
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