Regina emergency rooms feeling doctor shortage

REGINA – The Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region says it’s tapping all resources to keep emergency rooms open in our city.

It comes after roughly 10 positions being vacated recently, including three doctors leaving the province in the last month alone.

In the meantime, ER doctors have been working overtime with help from other departments.

But RHQR says that can only last so long before slowdowns in service and temporary closures, which are more likely to happen at Pasqua Hospital.

The health region is working to fill the positions, however the strain on emergency rooms could still last a few months.

“Our objective now is to stop the bleeding,” said Glen Perchie, RQHR executive director for emergency programs. “If we can keep it where we are now, and have support from (temporary staff) and others in the department, I’m hopeful we can avert closures.”

“I don’t expect we’ll see significant increases in our numbers until the new year.”

Health officials say emergency rooms are just under 100 per cent capacity right now, and that the public would be informed well ahead of any ER closures.