'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
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
WATCH LIVE Toronto police to release updated list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
Toronto police and law enforcement partners will be releasing the BOLO program’s updated list of the top 25 most wanted fugitives in Canada at a news conference on Tuesday morning.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Fire engulfs old Edmonton municipal airport hangar
A historical hangar at the former Edmonton municipal airport beside the NAIT main campus was on fire Monday night.
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a ploy to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.