Some light may be at the end of the tunnel for Tantramar residents who rely on the Sackville Memorial Hospital which has faced overnight emergency room closures for months due to staffing shortages.
Sackville mayor Shawn Mesheau says discussions between the community’s Rural Health Action Group and health officials are starting to pay off.
“We’re getting a lot of traction on recruitment. Horizon announced in a press release recently the positions they’ve been able to fill at the Sackville Memorial Hospital, both in the acute care wing and also in the emergency room.”
Mesheau is also optimistic after health care spending got a boost in this week’s provincial budget.
“When they talk in the budget about team-based community care, that’s important especially to a small community. What type of services can we providing here at the Sackville Memorial Hospital that enhances services from somewhere else?”
Mesheau adds this will be even more critical moving forward since the community will soon grow to include the Village of Dorchester and three neighbouring local service districts.
Horizon Health has said it’s working toward the goal of eventually restoring a 24-7 emergency room and acute care service at the Sackville Memorial Hospital.
