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Wakaw hospital will no longer be open 24 hours a day

Mar 19, 2011 | 9:30 AM

A Wakaw woman says she's completely disappointed after learning Friday that her town's hospital will no longer be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week as of April 1st.

Fay Michayluk helped organize a rally back in January to keep the hospital open for overnight care.

However, it needs a permanent doctor, and the Saskatoon Health Region hasn't been able to find one. So as of next month, the hospital will only be open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for things like lab work and x-rays.

Michayluk believes the town's nurse practitioners could play a key role in keeping the hospital open longer.

“Maybe the nurse practitioner hours need to be changed or extended so that maybe the clinic is open until 8 o'clock at night,” said Michayluk. “Nurse practitioners can suture, you know, can treat children with high temperatures. Those are the areas that really concern all of us.”

Michayluk doesn't want to be forced to drive to Rosthern or Prince Albert for those kinds of medical emergencies.
 

In a news release Friday, the Saskatoon Health Region says they will continue looking for a permanent or locum physician for Wakaw. Until that happens, the hospital can only offer limited services.

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