MOUNT FOREST – The emergency department at Louise Marshall Hospital is closing yet again, this time for a portion of this weekend.
According to a hospital Facebook post, the department will close on Sept. 6 (Friday) at 3pm and reopen on Sept. 7 (Saturday) at 7am.
The closure, which the hospital attributes to “a staffing shortage,” is at least the 11th such closure of the department since last July.
The hospital sent press releases about previous closures to the media, but this time the Advertiser did not receive any notification about the closure.
Newspaper staff read about the emergency department closing in a Facebook post that was published at 1:45pm on Sept. 6 – just over an hour prior to the closure.
Previous closures of the emergency department at Louise Marshall Hospital took place in March and April of this year, in addition to eight closures between July and December of 2023.
Press releases issued about the previous closures stated “Anyone requiring immediate medical attention should call 9-1-1.
“Paramedics will take you to the next nearest emergency department for care.”
Previous releases also included a list of the closest emergency departments to Louise Marshall Hospital, including:
- Palmerston and District Hospital (20 minutes);
- South Bruce Grey Health Centre in Durham (23 min.);
- Listowel Memorial Hospital (32 min.);
- Hanover and District Hospital (33 min.);
- South Bruce Grey Health Centre in Walkerton (37 min.);
- Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Aboyne (37 min.); and
- Wingham and District Hospital (42 min.).
In the past, NWHC officials have stressed those hospitals “may also be experiencing temporary closures due to staffing shortages, so it is advised that you confirm that they are open before heading there.”
