AHS meeting with Oyen residents tonight about hospital strain, closures

Oyen Mayor Doug Jones says he was initially taken aback by the news but has a more positive outlook now. He says the town has been in discussions with AHS officials for the past few days and feels they’ve been productive, and the emergency department may get a reprieve.

“We are working our way through it and I’m confident that it probably is not going to close,” he says. “We may not have beds you know that we’re going to service because we won’t have enough staff. But I have confidence that we’ll be able to work through that we will continue to have emergency care service.”

Jones acknowledges the town will likely go a few weeks without acute care service and says “we can live with that for now.” Four of the 10 acute care beds are filled currently, he says.

AHS is holding an open meeting Thursday night at Oyen’s Royal Canadian Legion to discuss the changes with town residents.

Jones expects some nursing students graduating in the spring will come to work in Oyen and says they’ve been working on accommodations.

So we’re going to work with {AHS} and provide some housing. We’ve got some room for some housing with our seniors’ lodge and stuff like that. So I think we can help them out there.”

AHS says patients who need emergency care during the closure can access services at any time at other area facilities.

Hanna Health Centre – 113 km away
Coronation Hospital – 135 km away
Provost Health Centre – 140 km away
Brooks Health Centre – 187 km away
Medicine Hat Regional Hospital – 196 km away

by Chris Brown

AHS meeting with Oyen residents tonight about hospital strain, closures

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