Ambulances will be redirected to the Cornwall Community Hospital or the Hawkesbury & District General Hospital, a statement said.
ALEXANDRIA — The Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital announced Thursday it had made the difficult decision, again, to close its emergency department from 6 p.m. on Friday to 8 a.m. on Monday.
“Like many hospitals across the province, HGMH continues to face significant pressures due to ongoing staffing shortages and high demand for care. Every day, HGMH’s teams work diligently to carefully balance the need for our services with staffing being a significant challenge,” a hospital statement read.
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“I am grateful to the staff, physicians and volunteers who have continued to serve our community through such challenging times. We’ve all been under enormous pressure, and we will continue to remain Glengarry Strong.”
The media release stated that the hospital management team was still actively recruiting staff members at a time when nursing shortages are making things challenging.
“Our communities are reminded to call 9-1-1 if (anyone is) experiencing severe shortness of breath, chest pain, severe bleeding, or periods of unconsciousness. Ambulances will be redirected to the Cornwall Community Hospital or the Hawkesbury & District General Hospital. If you are experiencing less severe symptoms that still require immediate care, drive to a neighbouring hospital,” the statement said.
HGMH cited similar ongoing service challenges over the past few months when closing its ER department from July 15 to Aug. 3 and again on Sept. 3-4.
