Town of Oyen Website

By Regan Tate

EMS to help address lack of nursing staff in Oyen

Jan 26, 2023 | 2:46 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Oyen Big Country emergency department remains temporarily closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. due to a lack of nursing staff.

To help address 911 calls between those hours, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will work collaboratively with the on-call physician in Oyen to determine the patient’s needs. This includes assessing whether they can be treated locally and released or transported to another emergency department.

The department will remain open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with nursing staff on-site and a physician on-call. Patients are asked to call 911 if they have a medical emergency.

This is a temporary measure and Alberta Health Services (AHS) is working to ensure local residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time. Nursing staff will remain on-site overnight providing care for long-term care residents. Patients seeking care during the closure in Oyen can access emergency services anytime at:

• 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

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Residents can also call Health Link at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency, health-related questions. Individuals requiring non-emergency medical care are also encouraged to call their family physician.