Dire shortages leave Melita residents with no ER services for the summer

Residents in a southern Manitoba town are asking questions as to why they are facing a summer with no emergency room.

Nearly 200 residents of Melita packed the Legion Memorial Hall Tuesday to ask questions and learn more about why their emergency services would be shut down for the remainder of the summer.

The main reason for the shut down, according to Prairie Mountain Health CEO Brian Schoonbaert, is that there are dire shortages elsewhere.

“We could have, in Melita over the summer, continued previous services,” Schoonbaert says. “But what happened is that we have significant shortages in our [personal care homes] particularly in Reston and Deloraine.”

For the month of July, there are 35 unfilled shifts in Reston and 20 in Deloraine.

The shortages are the reason behind what Schoonbaert calls “drastic steps,” including utilizing a clause in the Manitoba Nurses Union contract that allows them to move nurses up to 50 km to work where they’re most needed.

In the case of nurses in Melita, they will be moved to cover the shortages in Reston (44 km) and Deloraine (43 km).

“They’ll be paid for their driving time, their mileage, and they’ll even get a stipend above their normal salary for the reassignment,” Schoonbaert says.

The concern Melita Mayor Bill Holden says he’s heard most from residents is that the ER will stay closed, but he’s highly optimistic it will reopen in the fall.

“We are committed to work with Prairie Mountain Health and the surrounding RMs to make sure that we do our best to make sure this facility opens up again in the fall,” Holden says.

Residents were able to voice their concerns and frustrations, as well as ask questions during the meeting. Some of the topics brought up by residents were consideration for scholarships for local students to keep them in the area, the status of ambulance services, and the number of health care workers overall.

Schoonbaert says he appreciates the opportunity to better explain the situation directly to the residents.

“It’s not going to be easy for us, but really they don’t have the staffing issue per se, it was the neighbouring communities,” he says. “So that’s why it’s more readily available that I can say that things are going to be okay for them come September.”

In a statement to CTV News, the Manitoba Nurses Union says that closing Melita’s ER impacts the town and surrounding areas where patients are forced to travel. It also puts additional strain on other units and facilities.

Clinic and lab services in Melita will continue to be available, and public health and home care services will operate as usual.