Nova Scotia ERs closed again due to doctor shortage

There are a number of emergency room closures at hospitals and health-care clinics across Nova Scotia this weekend.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority says the closures are necessary because no physician coverage is available.

Here is a list of the closures:

• The Emergency Department at the New Waterford Consolidated Hospital in New Waterford will be closed on June 3. It will reopen on June 6 at 7 a.m.
• The Emergency Department at the Northside General Hospital in North Sydney will be closed on June 3. It will reopen on June 4 at 8 a.m.
• The Emergency Department at the All Saints Springhill Collaborative Emergency Centre in Springhill will be closed June 3 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and June 4 from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. The ER will also be closed June 7 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and June 8 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• The Emergency Department at the South Cumberland Collaborative Emergency Centre in Parrsboro will be closed June 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and June 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• The Emergency Department at the Strait Richmond Hospital in Cleveland will be closed on June 3 at 7 a.m. It will reopen on June 4 at 8 a.m.

The Health Authority says anyone experiencing an emergency should call 911 or go to the nearest open emergency department.

For non-emergency health advice from a registered nurse, people are asked to call 811. The provincial Mental Health Crisis Line operates 24/7 at 1-888-429-8167.

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