Temporary closures enacted at Lillian Fraser hospital

There will be no overnight service at the Lillian Fraser Memorial Hospital Collaborative Emergency Centre during August and September.

As of Aug. 1, the centre in Tatamagouche is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The overnight closures are taking place because of a lack of nursing coverage, but new hires will be arriving in September.

“The volumes in Tatamagouche are so high in the daytime we’ve had to hire additional nursing staff to manage everybody coming through,” said Barbara Cook, site manager at Lillian Fraser Memorial Hospital.

“We’re treating patients from everywhere else in the zone who can’t get in to their family doctor, or their own ER is closed. Our volumes throughout the year have increased.

“Our overnight volume is extremely low, so this was the best decision. There are often nights when not a single person comes through the door.”

The emergency department has been a collaborative care centre since 2012, with overnight staff consisting of a nurse and paramedic, but no doctor.

People who have a medical emergency should always call 911.

Non-emergency health advice can be obtained from a registered nurse by calling 811.

The provincial Mental Health Crisis Line can be reached any time at 1-888-429-8167.

Anyone with questions on the availability of services can contact the hospital at 902-6572382.