Wednesday, October 11, 2023 Vol. 46, No. 41
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Viking Hospital Emergency Dept closed for part of long weekend Patricia Harcourt Editor
The Emergency Department at the Viking Health Centre closed for the first time temporarily over part of the Thanksgiving weekend. Alberta Health Services sent out the notification on Friday, October 6, that the ED in Viking would close from 7 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, until 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9. The reason cited was “due to a gap in locum physician coverage.” Viking’s own doctors were credited for helping out to prevent a total shut-down of emergency services for the entire weekend. “AHS appreciates the willingness of local physicians to adjust their schedules to minimize the closure as much as possible for the community,” stated Heather Kipling of AHS Communications. “If additional coverage is secured and the ED is able to remain open, the community will be notified,” she said. However, that never happened within the time frame of the closure. The ED is not empty during closures, as nurses are on hand to assess any person coming in for help, including first aid and referrals to other facilities in surrounding
New Daycare building in Irma The new facility for the Irma Daycare has arrived and is in place beside the school. It is hoped that the building will be ready for use in November. PHOTO SUPPLIED
communities. These can include health centres in Wainwright, Camrose, Tofield or Daysland. If anyone requires transportation to another care facility, AHS stated that EMS would be available, “depending on the condition” of the patient. “We are thankful for the support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff and would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding during this time,” said Kipling. During the two-day period when emergency care in Viking was down, patients were asked to call 911 for medical emergen-
cies. Also available was the Health Link line 811, which is a 24/7 non-emergency line for health questions. Viking Health Centre also experienced a temporary pause in obstetrical services on two weekends in July of this year, from July 1-3, and July 22-24. During those dates, pregnant women were assessed and transported elsewhere for care if possible. However, if someone was in labour and going to deliver their baby “imminently,” the emergency department at Viking was to manage the delivery. These obstetrical pauses were attributed to staffing vacancies and unexpected illness.