By Bre McAdam

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.”

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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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