Lathbridge medical doctors concern concerning the protection of the affected person as a result of medicine because of loss of ER staffing
Emergency chamber doctors in Letbridge are warning that the lack of ongoing staff can make the growing waiting time even longer.
One open 16 doctor signed letterS says that the Chinook Regional Hospital has struggled to recruit the physicians of the emergency department and the resulting balloon is resulting in a resulting balloon.
This is not the first time the public has been alerted about the issue. In the last summer, Alberta Health Services issued a notice about the deficiency and Warned people to wait for a long time In Southern Alberta feature.
“We feel a little bit that we are hanging from our teeth skin for a few days,” said in an interview with CBC News.
“We just want people to be aware that this is a problem that has not been solved yet.”
According to Wilde, ER requires at least seven physicians working during a 24 -hour period.
He said that they are often below six and are facing periods in summer, where they can run their ER with only five physicians.
Wilde said, “If you look back for a few years, it was quite unusual to wait for more than four hours in our department. But now there are a few days, where we are seeing that the weights meet for six, seven, eight – even nine hours -” Wilde said.
Doctors warned that those waiting will be more likely in the coming months.
“There are cases about which we know that people probably did very bad, if we will be able to see them first. We are sure that this is the case. Wates have definitely contributed to the patient’s loss in the previous year.”
Wilde said that the most sick patient – who is suffering from heart attack or stroke, will still be seen immediately.
But people with appendicitis, intestinal obstructions or a serious infection developing problems may wait for a long time.
Wilde said, “They are often not ill when they arrive here for the first time, but they are going to be worse at the time. And they are those about whom we worry the most,” Wilde said.
According to Wilde, the hospital has lost the doctors for retirement and others have stopped working in other provinces over the years.
At the same time, he said, it has become difficult to recruit new doctors.
“It is part of a large, nationwide decrease of doctors and a decline in the number of physicians choosing to practice in Alberta. It is related to the falling political instability and stable disadvantage of the previous Alberta Financial Benefits,” it is said in the letter.
According to Wilde, the Lathbridge ER Locom has become dependent on physicians that fill on temporary basis.
“Many (doctors) are choosing the option to move to big cities that are now more aggressively recruiting than in the past,” Wilde said.
He said that some doctors are reducing their hours due to burnout.
AHS working to recruit seven doctors
In a written statement, Alberta Health Services said that it believes that many physicians are facing pressure in the distribution of health services.
According to AHS, Chinook is 17 emergency medical doctors at the regional hospital and is working to recruit seven more.
A spokesperson said in an email, “Two new physicians were hired in 2024, and three additional candidates have recently been interviewed and are in the middle of the recruitment process.”
“Despite these ongoing efforts and locomotor coverage, there is a lack of experience in the emergency department.”
According to AHS, patients in the hospital are given priority for care based on the severity of their medical condition.
Email said, “People with low intense issues may experience normal-to-normal waiting time for a long time, traditionally having some of the lowest waiting time in Alberta,” Email said.
“AHS is committed to supporting recruitment and retention efforts-including Lathbridge-to ensure that patients and families have access to high quality care.”
Chris Gallway, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, said there are equal concerns throughout the province.
He said, “Emergency room closures are already getting more and more because we go in summer,” he recently said Closed in communities like Fort McLeod,
The Galway is calling for a health care workforce plan to address the ongoing recruitment issues of Alberta.
“We need a plan that actually maps who we have, sees retention, sees recruitment, connects it with training and actually provides the need for health care alberties,” he said.
“We have not seen the kind of approach. And we are seeing that they play in Lathbridge where they are struggling to recruit and keep their convenience fully operating.”
Last year, the province had said that in response 2023 work force was working to update the strategy. Similar call from Alberta Medical Association,
Meanwhile, an official of the new ministry of hospital and surgical health services said in an email that in the same period of last year, the total number of doctors registered in Alberta in the first three months of 2025 increased by 4.2 percent.
Alberta’s latest quarterly report shows the number of doctors and surgeons fully registered at the surgeon (which are fully certified and who are conditionally approved to work, which can wait for paperwork or work experience) increased from 491 – 12,123 to 11,632 – from 11,632 to 11,632 to 11,632.
However, in the first three months of this year, 12,212 were registered by 89 doctors in total compared to the last quarter of 2024.
