Community ‘really, really concerned’ with eight week ER closure

The closed sign is up outside the Chesley hospital’s emergency department, and it’s not coming down, until at least Dec. 2.

The closed sign is up outside the Chesley hospital’s emergency department, and it’s not coming down, until at least Dec. 2.

“The move is significant. We’ve had closures in the past where we’ve closed overnight, some full day closures. But, we want to ensure we provide safe care and consistency to the community, and we simply do not have enough nurses to keep the emergency department operational for 24/7 service,” says South Bruce Grey Health Centre CEO, Michael Barrett.

Municipality of Arran-Elderslie Mayor Steve Hammell calls the eight week closure of his community’s ER, “terrible news for the community,” saying “a lot of people are really, really concerned, right now.”

“Without a functioning ER, we can’t expect our physicians to be in our community for much longer. They will work elsewhere, and this really is a battle for small town rural healthcare,” says Hammell.

Chesley resident and business owner, Nathan Rhody, is outraged by the news. Fearful for his fellow residents’ safety.

“Other communities are seeing closures, but nothing to this extent. What’s the difference here? All I can see is our hospital corporation isn’t up the standards of some of the other ones, locally,” says Rhody.

Barrett says the South Bruce Grey Health Centre (SBGHC), which also runs hospitals in Kincardine, Durham, and Walkerton, will spend the next eight weeks determining the future of emergency medicine in Chesley.