Listowel residents in need of emergency care will have to travel outside of their community to get it Saturday night.
The Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance has announced it is shutting down the Listowel Memorial Hospital Emergency Department for 14 hours as of 5 p.m. Saturday. An ongoing staffing shortage is being cited as the reason behind the closure.
"This is a temporary measure and our staff, board, physicians and leadership regret that we have to take this step," the alliance said in a statement. "Hospitals across Canada continue to face staffing shortages, including nurses, physicians, laboratory, allied health and support staff. In small, rural hospitals, the only alternative when faced with this level of staffing shortage is service reductions."
People seeking emergency treatment will be rerouted to hospitals in Wingham, Palmerston, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Stratford.
Those suffering a medical emergency can still call 911 and paramedics will take them to one of the surrounding hospitals that remain open.
Health Connect Ontario is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help people in need of non-urgent care. It can be reached by phone at 811.
The Listowel Memorial Hospital emergency room is scheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. on Sunday.