West Prince residents demand 24/7 ER services 

More than 400 people packed into a high school auditorium in Elmsdale, P.E.I., Monday night to demand the province keep emergency services open at Western Hospital in Alberton 24/7.

And while Health Minister Mark McLane told West Prince residents the hospital would not close, he stopped short of assuring residents it would have continuous emergency services.

The 25-bed hospital now offers those services from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. But the hospital's emergency room has been plagued with closures because of staff shortages.

Karen Keefe, who spent 40 years working as a registered nurse, says the ER is a lifeline for the people of West Prince. 

'Hold him accountable'

"The government committed to keeping Western Hospital open. But did they commit to Western [Hospital's] ER? No," she said following the meeting.

Keefe said the people of West Prince will continue to fight to keep the ER open.

She said Health P.E.I.'s handling of the health-care system was "incompetent," and put the blame at the feet of Health P.E.I.'s CEO, Dr. Michael Gardam.

Keefe said Gardam had to go. 

"We need to hold him accountable," she said.

The Health P.E.I. CEO was not in attendance at the meeting.

'Don't like the staffing answer'

During an interview with CBC News, Minister McLane said it comes down to staffing.

"I know people don't like the staffing answer to those types of questions," he said.

"But with our increasing population, our aging population, we need every facility and need to staff it appropriately and we need to run them as best we can. We understand that." 

Dylana Arsenault, executive director of hospital services with Health P.E.I., said they're doing everything they can to staff the hospital's emergency room.

She said they don't have the staff to operate the hospital's ER 24/7.

Health P.E.I. has secured three travel nurses for the Alberton hospital in July and one in August. Officials said recruitment efforts continue.

To be OK, we're going to have to move. We can't stay the same.- Dylana Arsenault

About 40 travel nurses will be working across the province this summer. 

"I heard passion and I heard fear, and I heard a community that is hurting right now that wants to know that it's going to be OK," said Arsenault.  

"I absolutely believe that it is going to be OK. But to be OK, we're going to have to move. We can't stay the same."

'Stop minimizing the problem'

More than a dozen members of the public spoke during the meeting.

Alicia Grant of Tignish said she's tired of hearing excuses.

"I'm a little tired of hearing that everybody is in a health-care crisis. I know that," she said. "But my perception having lived just one province away is that even New Brunswick is miles ahead of P.E.I. right now. 

"We need to stop minimizing the problem by saying 'Oh, well everybody is in a health-care crisis.'"    

I see a steady decline in that three years in our hospitals, in our long-term care settings across the board.- Ann James, retired health-care worker

Erasmus Madimbu, from Alberton, said his daughter is a nurse who applied to work at the hospital, but she never heard back from Health P.E.I.

He said she went to work as a travel nurse in B.C.   

"Up until now she hasn't received any correspondence from you guys to acknowledge the application," Madimbu said at the meeting.

"She wanted to come here to help the community and be with her family.… How are you going to keep those facilities open without the manpower?" 

'Watched it decline'

Ann James, a retired health-care worker in long-term care, also called for the resignation of Health P.E.I.'s CEO.

"I think Islanders need to ask for the CEO's resignation," James said to applause.

"He's had three years. I see a steady decline in that three years in our hospitals, in our long-term care settings across the board. I've watched it decline as all of us front-line workers have."  

The organizers said they'll keep up their fight. They're planning another public meeting in the days ahead.

In an emailed statement, Gardam said calls for his resignation are matters for the provincial government to respond to.

"As a public servant in health care, I will continue to work with the excellent team of staff, physicians and leaders who are dedicated to providing the best care possible for Islanders," he said.

The issue made its way to the P.E.I. Legislature on Tuesday.

Opposition leader Hal Perry, who is also the MLA for Tignish-Palmer Road, criticized Premier Dennis King and the Health P.E.I. CEO for not going to the meeting.

"Residents felt that they were ignored, as if they were being told one thing from folks who were 10,000 feet above while seeing a whole other reality playing out before them on the ground when it comes to health care," said Perry. 

In the legislature, McLane said he understands people's frustrations.

"I think they used the words 'fight and save' last night,  I kind of disagree with those terms," said McLane.

"We do not want to fight with anybody. There is no saving to be done. Those are important facilities. We value them. We want to staff them."

Nancy Hamill, who lives in Mill River and was one of the organizers of the meeting, said she believes the emergency room is in jeopardy.

She said she doesn't feel any more assured following the meeting Monday night.

"I think Western Hospital will indeed stay open," said Hamill. "I just think the emergency services are in jeopardy.

"We have to watch how the politicians and the officials at Health P.E.I. speak — and what they actually say."