N.S. opposition leaders call for plan to address rural emergency department closures

Opposition leaders in Nova Scotia are calling on Premier Tim Houston’s PC government to come up with a better plan to address ongoing closures of emergency departments in hospitals, and particularly rural hospitals, across the province.

Opposition leaders in Nova Scotia are calling on Premier Tim Houston’s PC government to come up with a better plan to address ongoing closures of emergency departments in hospitals, and particularly rural hospitals, across the province.

The death of a patient at the Soldiers Memorial Hospital in Middleton, Nova Scotia last week is sparking renewed calls improving emergency health-care policies.

This comes after an admitted patient went into cardiac arrest last week at the Soldiers Memorial Hospital late in the evening when the emergency department was closed and there was no doctor on site.

Health staff called 911 and volunteer firefighters responded along with EHS paramedics, who performed chest compressions. The patient did not survive.

Middleton deputy fire chief Scott Veinot, said in a letter to the town council that the doctor on-call the evening when the patient died was more than 30 minutes away in Kentville.

Veinot said they received the 911 dispatch call late Thursday night and firefighters arrived at the hospital around 11:00 pm and were informed there was no doctor on duty.

“I find this very concerning to know that not only is our emergency department failing our community, now our inpatients are at risk with no doctor coverage on the medical floor,” wrote Veinot.