COLD LAKE - The Cold Lake Emergency Department is once again experiencing a service disruption.
"Due to the inability to secure physician coverage, the Cold Lake Healthcare Centre Emergency Department (ED) will be temporarily without on-site physician coverage from 11 p.m. May 4 to 7 a.m. May 5," according to Alberta Health Services (AHS).
The shortage was noted as being a temporary measure and "AHS is working hard to ensure local residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time."
The hospital's nursing staff will remain on-site in the ED to provide triage and assessments. Patients may be referred to other EDs in the area.
"Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency. EMS will remain available to the community and will be re-routed to surrounding healthcare centres to ensure local residents continue to have access to the emergency services they need," according to AHS.
Continued shortages in St. Paul
Other areas of the Lakeland continue to experience temporary closures or other service disruptions.
In St. Paul, 10 acute care beds have been closed at the St. Paul Healthcare Centre since June of 2021 due to "Temporary staff shortage due to vacation, vacancies, ongoing recruitment."
An anticipated date of May 16 shows on the AHS website, but that date has been changed numerous times over the past 11 months.
A "temporary disruption of obstetrical services due to lack of obstetric trained RN coverage," is also noted for the St. Paul hospital, which was supposed to end May 2. The reason for the disruption is also "temporary staff shortage due to vacation, vacancies, illness."
Lac La Biche without anesthesia
The Lac La Biche hospital - W.J. Cadzow Healthcare Centre - was showing a "temporary lack of anesthesia physician coverage" for May 3-5, according to the AHS map.
The shortage was affecting the surgical and obstetrics departments, and "No Obstetrical/C-Section services" were available.
In March of 2022, seven babies were delivered at the Lac La Biche hospital.
