N.B. urged to get “serious about recruiting” with more emergency room reductions

OROMOCTO, N.B. -

The reduction of service inside another New Brunswick hospital’s emergency department has advocates calling for increased recruiting of doctors and other healthcare providers.

Effective Tuesday, the emergency room at the Oromocto Public Hospital will now close daily at 4 p.m. (six hours earlier than its previous closing time of 10 p.m.) and will reopen at 8 a.m. the following day.

“These temporary closures will remain in place until we are able to recruit an adequate number of health care professionals to work in this department,” said the Horizon Health Network in a written statement.

Nobody from the health authority, nor the Department of Health, was made available for an interview with CTV on Tuesday or Wednesday.

“So temporary could be six months, six years,” says resident Yvonne Westall. “Who knows?”

Earlier in June, hours in the emergency department were cut at the Sackville Memorial Hospital between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 

Horizon has issued emergency room staff shortage advisories throughout the spring, primarily at the Moncton Hospital and the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton.

Horizon has been urging people to avoid emergency departments and use after-hours clinics, pharmacies and Tele-care 811 for non-urgent medical issues.

“It does highlight the bigger problem,” says Dr. Jeff Steeves, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society. “The shortage of physicians specifically, but also healthcare providers generally including nurses and other allied health professionals.”

Steeves says the problem of ER staff shortages is well known by now and just needs the political will to repair.

“We really do want to get serious about recruiting. Health care is one of the number one priorities when you do surveys of the population," said Steeves.

“I think the government needs to bring that priority to the table so we can have a more concerted effort to move forward.”

In February 2020, New Brunswick’s then minority Progressive Conservative government reversed a decision to close six emergency rooms overnight citing widespread criticism.