PC MLA challenges own health minister to commit to 24-7 emergency room in Montague
MLA Cory Deagle says people served by Kings County Memorial Hospital deserve more than 12-hour coverage
A PC MLA in eastern P.E.I. is calling on his own government to expand the emergency room hours at Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague.
The ER at the hospital is currently open 12 hours a day.
Montague-Kilmuir MLA Cory Deagle argues other parts of the Island have better, longer access to emergency care. He says he understands that Kings County can't expect the same level of service as Charlottetown or Summerside, but that they deserve a 24-7 emergency room.
During question period at the legislature on Friday, he asked Health Minister Ernie Hudson if he would commit to opening the hospital's emergency room 24-7 "so that we can be treated equitable just like the rest of P.E.I.?"
Hudson said that he'll talk with Deagle about possible ways forward, including the "collaborative emergency centre" used at Western Hospital in Alberton. That approach sees a typical ER for 12 hours, with the other 12 hours staffed by paramedics and nurses who specialize in emergency care and consult by phone with an on-call doctor.
He did not commit to adding any emergency service at Kings County hospital, only promising it and the hospital in Alberton would remain open.