MOUNT FOREST – The emergency department at Louise Marshall Hospital here will be closed for a portion of this weekend due to “a staffing shortage.”
The department will be close on Nov. 18 (Saturday) at 1pm and reopen on Nov. 19 (Sunday) at 7am, states a press release from North Wellington Health Care (NWHC), which operates hospitals in Mount Forest and Palmerston.
“Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency,” the Nov. 16 release stated.
“Emergency Medical Services (ambulances) will remain available to the community and will re-route to surrounding hospitals to ensure residents continue to have access to the emergency services they need.”
For non-urgent health care, residents are directed to call Health Connect Ontario at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions.
An additional closure was announced on the hospital’s website. The LMH emergency department was also closed from Nov. 17 at 7pm and re-opened at 7am on Nov. 18.
The weekend marked the seventh time since the summer the emergency department at Louise Marshall Hospital has closed due to staffing shortages.
The other closures took place on July 6/7, July 20/21, Aug. 9/10, Sept. 9/10, Sept. 16-18 and Sept. 30/Oct. 1.
The NWHC release provided a list of the closest hospitals, but noted they “may also be experiencing temporary closures due to staffing shortages, so it is advised that you confirm that they are open before heading there.”
Officials stated the closest emergency departments to Louise Marshall Hospital are:
- Palmerston and District Hospital (20 minutes);
- South Bruce Grey Health Centre in Durham (23 min.);
- Listowel Memorial Hospital (32 min.);
- Hanover and District Hospital (33 min.);
- South Bruce Grey Health Centre in Walkerton (37 min.);
- Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Aboyne (37 min.); and
- Wingham and District Hospital (42 min.).
