Rural Alberta Mayor Praying No Major Incidents After Emergency Department Closes Over Long Weekend | The Canadian News

A city southeast of Edmonton will not have an ER this weekend because the ER is closed.

The lack of crucial medical services is causing concern along with the hope that emergencies will not arise.

“We are praying. We are confident that we will not have any major incidents over the weekend, ”Killam Mayor Ben Kellert said Saturday.

Killam residents received a notice from Covenant Health via social media on Friday.

It says the Killam Health Care Center emergency department will be closed for the weekend because there are no doctors available.

“Our doctors stretch like any doctor in urban centers,” Kellert said.

Covenant Health said the emergency room will be closed until Tuesday at 8 a.m., adding that the move is temporary.

Dr. Paul Parks, president of emergency medicine for the Alberta Medical Association, said this is no surprise.

“It’s very difficult for communities, and that kind of critical shortage in our rural communities is happening more and more in Alberta,” Parks said.

Patients requiring emergency care must travel to Daysland or Viking.

“If someone has to travel half an hour or more to go to the next hospital and seek immediate emergency intervention, surely it could endanger life or limb,” Parks said.

Kellert called the situation unfortunate and a sign of how the healthcare system is struggling right now.

“With the pandemic on the rise, we have a lot more fatigue, a lot more illnesses and a short coverage where basically the doctors have been working harder to cover the illnesses,” Parks said.

Parks believes that the broken relationship with the Alberta government, as well as recruitment and retention, are also factors leading to the shortage.

While Kellert is concerned, he urges people to be patient and understand what medical professionals are going through.

“If they don’t take care of themselves, they won’t take care of us,” Kellert said.

Alberta Health Services is listing two more rural communities without emergency services this weekend; Milk River is expected to open its ER again on Tuesday, while Hardisty could be closed until November or more.