The emergency department at the Athabasca Healthcare Centre will be without on-site physician coverage for the next two nights, starting tonight, April 1, at 7 p.m. until Saturday at 7 a.m. and then again from 7 p.m. until Sunday morning, April 3.
"This is a temporary measure and AHS is working hard to ensure local residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time," stated a media release from Alberta Health Services Friday afternoon at 4:55 p.m.
Nursing staff will still be on-site to provide triage and assessments, and referrals for patients to other hospitals in the region. Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency.
"EMS will be re-routed to other healthcare centres to ensure local residents continue to have access to the emergency services they need.
"Residents are reminded to call Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions.
"We are thankful for the support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff and would like to thank the community for its patience and understanding during this time," read the release.
While other hospitals in the region have been hit with a frequent lack of on-site coverage in their emergency departments, this is the first experienced in Athabasca.
