Health P.E.I. keeping Montague hospital ER closed on weekends until February

The emergency department at Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague will continue to be closed on weekends until at least February 2024, according to Health P.E.I.  

The health agency originally announced in June that the emergency department would be closed on weekends until at least early October 2023 

In a news release Tuesday morning, Health P.E.I. said the emergency department will be open only from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., due to a lack of doctors and other staff. 

"Recruitment for physicians, nurses and all necessary staff to maintain the emergency department seven days a week has been a priority for many months," Corinne Rowswell, Chief Operating Officer for Health P.E.I., was quoted as saying in the news release.

"Unfortunately, we have not yet recruited enough staff to this area to return to daily service."

Health P.E.I. said the weekday schedule was implemented in early July to help avoid last-minute and unplanned closures at the emergency department. 

Since July, Kings County Memorial Hospital has had no unplanned closures, Health P.E.I. said.

In the meantime, a spokesperson for Health P.E.I. said the agency is working with the Department of Health and Wellness and community partners to help people in the Three Rivers area access health care. 

That includes providing primary care physician services on Mondays, to divert people from the emergency room. The news release did not include information on how patients can arrange to see that doctor. 

Health P.E.I. advises anyone with emergency medical needs to call 911 or seek emergency services when:

If you have any health concerns or need immediate health information, call 811 to speak to a registered nurse.