QEH feeling effects of Summerside anesthesiologist shortage, says ER doctor

The lack of anesthesiologists at Prince County Hospital in Summerside, P.E.I., is having ripple effects on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, says an emergency room physician who witnessed it first-hand last weekend.

"Once you lose that resource, it's a little bit of a house of cards that will impact the emergency department up there," said Dr. Trevor Jain in his monthly "Talk with the Doc" segment on CBC News: Compass.

"It does put pressure on Queen Elizabeth Hospital."

The Prince County Hospital hasn't had a full-time anesthesiologist for about a year and a half. Locums from the big academic hospitals in Toronto have helped fill the gaps, but they are also needed at other hospitals due to a Canada-wide anesthesiologist shortage.

From April 5-11, anesthesia services were not available in Summerside. Jain said that as a result, some patients were diverted to Charlottetown.

"We would receive the more serious trauma cases. We would receive some patients that would require surgery that could have been done up there."

When you impact one part of the system, it impacts other parts.— Dr. Trevor Jain

Anesthesiologists are a vital part of the health-care system, Jain said. They are required for surgery, assist in intensive care units, and provide obstetrical care.

According to Jain, about 150 anesthesiologists are trained in Canada each year. But more are needed.

"There's lots of demand for anesthesiologists right now, and the supply is not keeping up," he said.

"When you impact one part of the system, it impacts other parts."