Service restored at Ponoka Hospital following temporary ED closure

PONOKA -- The Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre's emergency department experienced a temporary closure last week.

According to Alberta Health Services, the closure occurred from 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 3rd, until 8:00 a.m. on Friday morning. AHS said in a statement that the emergency department was temporarily closed due to staffing shortages caused by an unexpected gap in physician coverage.

Nurses remained on-site during the closure to re-direct residents to other emergency departments in neighbouring communities. It's also noted that the staffing shortage did not affect any other departments at the Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre. During times when there are temporary closures to emergency departments, residents are asked to call 9-1-1 for assistance.

AHS says they're grateful for the support of staff and physicians who helped minimize the temporary disruption as much as possible. Additionally, they note they appreciate the support of surrounding healthcare centres and would like to thank the community for its patience and understanding during this time.

This comes after the emergency department at Lacombe Hospital suffered through a similar situation on March 22nd, as staffing shortages resulted in the hospital's ED being closed from midnight to 8:00 a.m.