Physician coverage leads to temporary closure of Milk River ED

By Kenyon Stronski
Westwind Weekly News

Milk River is currently facing a lack of physician coverage and as a result the Milk River Health Centre Emergency Department faced a temporary closure at 8 a.m. Monday, July 31. Luckily the Emergency Department will be reopened as of publishing of this article on Wednesday, Aug. 2 and will continue providing 24 hour service. 

If faced with a closure of this type again, AHS asks patients to call 911 if there is a medical emergency. EMS calls will be rerouted to the Raymond Health Centre or Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge. AHS also says patients seeking care can access emergency services at both the Raymond Health Centre and Lethbridge Hospital. 

If there are any non-emergency medical questions, AHS says to call Health Link at 811 and will be available for non-emergency health-related questions. Individuals requiring non-emergency medical care are encouraged to call their family doctor for any questions. 

AHS thanks the support of surrounding healthcare centres and medical staff and also thanks the community for their patience during the closure.