Smoky Lake hospital emergency department will experience temporary disruptions in physician coverage over the next two weeks.
Alberta Health Services announced that there will be no physician on-site, from Thursday at 4 p.m., to Friday at 8 a.m., on the following days, December 5th to the 6th, December 12th to the 13th and December 19th to the 20th.
During these times, nursing staff will remain on-site to provide triage, assessments, and referrals to alternate emergency departments in surrounding communities. AHS has reassured residents that EMS services will continue to be available and will coordinate with the local healthcare center to ensure access to emergency care.
Patients with medical emergencies are encouraged to call 911, while non-emergency health concerns can be directed to Health Link at 811, a 24/7 health advice service.
AHS has stated that these disruptions are temporary, and efforts are ongoing to secure physician coverage. If coverage is found, the scheduled service gaps may be cancelled.
“This is temporary measure, and AHS is working hard to ensure local residents continue to have access to the care they need during this time,” the statement read. AHS also expressed gratitude for the community’s understanding and the support of surrounding healthcare centers and medical staff.
