A local emergency department will no longer experience a brief closure as previously announced.
Initially, the St. Marys Memorial Hospital said Wednesday that it would have to close its emergency department at 9 p.m. on March 16, and re-open the following morning of March 17 due to staffing issues.
In a follow up release from the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA), officials stated that the closure is no longer necessary.
"The Emergency Department will continue operating 24 hours, daily," read a release from the HPHA. "We thank our team members for stepping up to ensure that emergency services are not interrupted."
For non-urgent health care, call Health Connect Ontario at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health related questions. If you have a family doctor, you can also inquire about any same-day appointments or after-hours clinics.
The closest 24-hour Emergency Departments to the St. Marys Memorial Hospital are:
Stratford – HPHA – Stratford General Hospital Exeter – South Huron Hospital* Ingersoll – Alexandra Hospital* London – LHSC– University Hospital or Victoria Hospital