Demanding answers on services
MLAs push for explanation of changes to Prince County Hospital ICU
CHARLOTTETOWN
– News of the recent closure of the intensive care unit at Summerside's Prince County Hospital consumed the first question period of the spring sitting of the province's legislature.
On May 16, Hal Perry newly-minted Liberal Leader of the Opposition said Islanders and health-care workers were surprised to learn on May 12 that the ICU would no longer be operating at the PCH as of May 14.
The province has said a progressive care unit, which provides care for patients who require hospital care but not at the intensive care level, will replace the ICU at PCH in the immediate term.
Patients needing more intensive care will be transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.
“We had been informed that staff were being trained to handle additional people in the trauma bay of the emergency department at the QEH, but they weren't even told why," Perry told Premier Dennis King.
"Why is your government so comfortable disrespecting frontline staff like this?"
King said P.E.I.'s government was like those in other provinces, which are dealing with “a bumpy road right now” in the health-care system.
“It's unfortunate that we've lost some of our internists that served the Prince County
Hospital. And we're trying to recruit replacements on a short-term and a long-term basis,” King said.
“But until such time, Madam Speaker, we need to make sure we can safely provide services to Islanders that they've come to expect."
The ICU closure follows the departure of two internal medicine specialists. Sources have told SaltWire the departure of the two internists was related to high workload and unfilled staffing positions within the ICU.
Health Minister Mark
McLane did not provide the legislature with a concrete timeline for reopening the PCH intensive care unit.
Perry said the decision to close the ICU was made "in the shadows of a Mother's Day weekend."
"This decision was dropped from 10,000 feet directly on the back of patients, on families, on health-care staff," Perry said
“Is this the type of leadership Islanders can expect from you as the newly minted minister of health?"
"We're trying to do the best we can to provide services at that facility," McLane said in response.
"I believe we did have a locum lined up, and it didn't materialize."
McLane later said a locum internist had been expected to start at the PCH on May 14 but said that did not happen.
A government communications representative later confirmed the locum did not begin due to a personal scheduling issue.
McLane said he did not expect a “large influx” of patients
to be diverted to Charlottetown's QEH. He did not provide an exact number of how much patient levels are expected to rise.
McLane also faced questions from his Progressive Conservative colleague Tyler DesRoches, MLA for Summerside-Wilmot.
DesRoches asked how the province would improve recruitment of internists.
McLane said he believed the province needed to look at improving recruitment incentives for certain streams of doctors.