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A shortage of nursing staff was blamed for a temporary closure of the emergency department at Almonte General Hospital on Saturday night.
An announcement mid-evening from the Mississippi River Health Alliance said the Almonte emergency department was to be closed from 7 p.m. on Saturday until 7 a.m. on Sunday.
The rest of the hospital remained open and continued to care for patients, the announcement said.
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“Like many rural hospitals in Ontario and across the country, Almonte General Hospital (AGH) has faced challenges that occasionally necessitate short-term ED closures. These decisions are made only after every alternative has been exhausted,” the news release said. “The ED operates with a very small team, typically one physician and two nurses per shift. When one of them is unable to work, it significantly impacts our ability to provide safe care, as there is not a large pool of personnel with Emergency Department training available to draw from.”
Anyone requiring immediate medical attention was instructed to call 9-1-1, the release added, and paramedics would take patients to the nearest emergency department for care.
The list of nearby emergency departments included those at Carleton Place & District Memorial Hospital, Arnprior Regional Health, Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital and Ottawa’s Queensway Carleton Hospital.
Almonte is about 50 kilometres west of Ottawa.
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