SHA announces partial reopening of Victoria Hospital in-patient youth psychiatric unit
After an eight month closure, the child and youth mental health inpatient unit at the Victoria Hospital will reopen up to half capacity, with the successful recruitment of a new child psychiatrist.
In a media release, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said the unit began a “phased service resumption” Tuesday, the first phase of which will involve the re-opening of up to five of its 10 inpatient beds.
The unit was forced to shut its doors in June after the city’s last remaining child psychiatrist retired. Youth from Prince Albert and the North in need of in-patient psychiatric care have been transferred to Saskatoon in the intervening months.
“We are very pleased that children and youth will have better access to the help they need, with the reintroduction of child psychiatry services in Prince Albert,” Everett Hindley, minister of mental health and addictions, seniors and rural and remote health said in the media release.