December 01, 2003

Emergency room services will be reinstated at Seven Regions Health Centre in Gladstone effective today, Health Minister Dave Chomiak has announced.

"This government is dedicated to providing access to quality health care for Manitobans in their home communities, and the restoration of emergency services in Gladstone is an excellent example of our commitment to rural health care," said Chomiak.

"Working in partnership with community leaders and Manitoba Health to reinstate these services has been a very positive experience," said René Comte, chief executive officer for the Regional Health Authority, Central Manitoba. "We are grateful for the ongoing contributions and assistance of Manitoba Health and the community in physician recruitment strategies for this region."

The health team at Seven Regions Health Centre includes four new doctors who have recently started working in the community and a fifth who is scheduled to begin early this month.

The reinstatement of emergency services has been approved as a pilot project. Evaluation of the project includes tracking the number of patients visiting the emergency room, the types of injuries requiring treatment, and interviews with community residents, physicians and hospital staff.

The minister noted that the education of health professionals, the renewal of the nursing workforce and the recruitment and retention of rural physicians are important components of the government’s plan for sustaining Manitoba’s health care system.

Emergency services will be available to the public in Gladstone from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.

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