It’s going to be an even longer long weekend for those with emergency health care needs in Wingham and Durham.
Hospital emergency rooms in both communities are closed until Sunday night at 7 p.m.
Wingham’s long weekend closure started Thursday night and will last 72 hours, making it one of the longest continuous closures in the hospital’s history. Durham’s emergency room will close at 5 p.m. Friday night and will reopen Sunday at 7 p.m.
Both closures are being blamed on healthcare staff shortages. Officials with the Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance hope this is the last extended ER closure this summer.
“We understand how disappointing this extended closure is to our community as well as our staff and physicians. Our staffing situation is expected to improve through August which will reduce our risk of closure. However, the health human resources issues remain challenging,” said the Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance on their website.
The Chesley Hospital ER will be closed both Saturday and Sunday as well, as part of a planned weekend closure. Clinton’s Hospital ER will be closed every night this weekend, as part of an overnight closure that’s now lasted more than three years.
