Eriksdale hospital emergency, diagnostic departments temporarily close due to staffing shortage

An emergency room in Manitoba's Interlake is being forced to temporarily close and suspend diagnostic servicesdue to a staff shortage.

The E.M. Crowe Memorial Hospital in Eriksdale is temporarily suspending its emergency room services due to an "unplanned staffing vacancy" in the diagnostics department, according to a statement from the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority on Wednesday.

The IERHA said although there is a doctor staffed in the region to take calls at the Eriksdale emergency room, services can't be delivered without access to diagnostic services.

Services are expected to be suspended until Sept. 26, the region says, andlocals are being directed to Ashern or Arborg 39 and 62 kilometres away, respectively for diagnostic care for now.

Patients requiring ambulance transportation in the area will be taken to the next nearest "or most appropriate" emergency department.

The health region said there won't be any disruptions to inpatient admission or delivery of primary care services at the hospital in Eriksdale.

"The RHA is working closely with Shared Health Diagnostics to address the staffing shortage that is affecting service delivery so emergency services can be resumed in Eriksdale," the IERHA said in a statement. "Discussions with the local municipality and First Nation health directors regarding access to health care services are ongoing."

Emergency department schedules are available on the IERHA website.

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