'Extremely concerning': Glace Bay ER closed for almost a year due to staffing shortages
The emergency department at the Glace Bay Hospital has been closed since July 2021, and it’s unclear when it will reopen.
“It's very concerning. It's probably one of the questions being asked in the community these days,” said David MacKeigan, president of Bay It Forward, a local community group that has helped attract doctors to the community in the past.
“The longer it's closed, the harder it's going to be to reopen,” he said.
The only ER currently operating in Cape Breton Regional Municipality is at the island's largest hospital in Sydney, N.S.
“The emergency department in Glace Bay, in the proposal that was made by the Liberals under Stephen McNeil, was supposed to be expanded and kept open, and instead it has closed and has had a disastrous effect on the Regional,” said Cape Breton physician Dr. Margaret Fraser.
Fraser says upwards of 150 patients a day have registered at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney.
“Glace Bay really does need to reopen. There needs to be some other option for emergency care. There needs to be a community emergency department,” she said.
A spokesperson for Nova Scotia Health says their goal is to keep the ER in Glace Bay open, once staffing levels stabilize.
“It's extremely concerning. People shouldn't have to second guess where they're going for emergency care,” said Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative MLA John White.
One of White’s campaign promises was to keep the hospital in Glace Bay open.
“I can assure you that every effort is being made to reopen the ER,” he said.
Nova Scotia Health says three physicians have recently been hired to work in Sydney, but there are still 20 nursing vacancies.
Nearly a year after it closed, there's still no firm date on when the ER department in Glace Bay will reopen.
Correction
This is a corrected article. A previous version incorrectly stated that the Glace Bay ER has been closed for almost two years, instead of one.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.