Staff at the Athabasca and Boyle hospitals got a chance to voice their concerns over equipment and staff shortages to Alberta Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky and Athabasca-Redwater MLA Jeff Johnson as they toured facilities across the region last Thursday.
Doctors told Zwozdesky during his Oct. 21 visit to the Athabasca Healthcare Centre that they need to double the capacity of their emergency room, which they said can currently only handle one patient at a time when often two or more are admitted, and cannot accommodate critical cases; while the hospital’s operating room is fully equipped but unused.
Meanwhile, at Boyle, Zwozdesky said that the needs were simpler but no less urgent: window shades, improved blood services — and more staff.
“I think one of the critical areas will be the trauma room, and of course there’s a fully regulated operating room they would like to see activated,” said Zwozdesky at the Athabasca Healthcare Centre.
Dr. Andries Esterhuizen also voiced concerns to the health minister over the trauma room being inadequate for his patient caseload, but said he appreciated Zwozdesky’s visit.
“I found him as a very approachable person, and I’m very impressed about the way he handled himself here, and giving us a chance to make ourselves heard,” Esterhuizen said.
“He listened to people’s concerns, and there was a large turnout,” said Johnson.
Zwozdesky said he would look into the issues of Athabasca’s hospital as soon as possible, adding that it was important for all facilities and equipment to be updated to the highest possible standard, pledging greater investment in rural Alberta’s medical services.
“We have some staff — doctors, nurses and admin — who are very committed,” Zwozdesky said.
In Boyle, Zwozdesky said the hospital needed more staff, as it is the only hospital on the Highway 63 corridor between Edmonton and Fort McMurray. With oil sand workers changing shifts on weekends, patient numbers at Boyle have increased to the point where existing nurses and doctors struggle to cope.
A second concern raised to Zwozdesky in Boyle, by local resident Elmer Kennedy, was the lack of a seniors’ home, with elderly people seeking care being transferred out of the community.
“I’m hoping we get results from this visit, that we get some of the things we really need,” said Kennedy.
