Nurse shortage closes Port Saunders hospital beds
Last Updated: Monday, December 14, 2009 | 1:10 PM NT
CBC News
A shortage of nurses is forcing the Western Regional Health Authority to close all seven of Port Saunders' Health Care Centre's acute care beds, says the town's mayor.
Mayor Tony Ryan said the centre, located in the western Newfoundland community about 275 kilometres north of Corner Brook, needs nine nurses to keep the beds open, but it had only four Monday.
"Well, I guess it's going to be devastating to a certain degree," said Ryan. "I mean any acute patient that comes to this facility is going to be ambulanced out or drove out by their own people to either Bonne Bay or Corner Brook."
Port Saunders is about 200 kilometres north of Bonne Bay.
Ryan says 21 chronic care beds and one palliative care bed will remain open.
He said Port Saunders town councillors will be meeting with Western Health on Wednesday to try to find a solution.
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