A temporary reduction in service at the Sackville Memorial Hospital is causing concern in the area.
Memramcook-Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton took to Facebook shortly after Horizon Health announced the changes on Friday to voice her frustration.
“I am going to be blunt: these changes will threaten the well-being of our community. I am furious that successive governments have allowed this to happen and nervous about how health care needs will be met moving forward,” reads the post.
Horizon stated emergency department hours will be cut temporarily, leaving citizens without access from 4 p.m. until 8 a.m. daily starting on Nov. 19. The reasoning behind the reduction is a lack of physicians and nurses.
Mitton said she has been assured the reduction is indeed temporary, and Horizon is still recruiting.
Reduced service at the Sackville Memorial Hospital due to staffing has become a common problem after weekend service was temporarily scaled back during the Summer to accommodate a shortage of workers.
While the community grapples with the latest changes, Mitton hopes to see barriers affecting her constituents addressed.
“The government needs to ensure advanced-care paramedics are available in our communities, and that enough ambulances are on the road, while addressing the persistent problem of offload delays for those being sent to Moncton, and addressing the transportation barriers that will intensify as people lose evening/overnight access to the local ER.”
Mitton called on the Higgs Government to find solutions for healthcare issues including, funding more nursing seats at New Brunswick universities, offering competitive wages and working conditions and improving the recruitment and hiring process.
What a mess! In the midst of Higgs refusing to sign fair contracts with workers, Horizon has just announced a reduction…
Posted by Megan Mitton on Friday, October 29, 2021