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The South Bruce Gray Health Center will close the Durham emergency department overnight at times this summer due to a lack of staff.
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“Hospitals across Canada and Ontario are facing staffing challenges and the South Bruce Gray Health Center is no exception. We are experiencing an ongoing shortage of physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers over the summer months,” the hospital corporation said in a news release Wednesday.
The South Bruce Gray Health Center said in its release the temporary changes will allow them to “effectively use our limited resources to safely care for our community.”
The emergency department will be closed overnight from 5 pm until the following day at 7 am on June 24, 29 and 30, as well as overnight from 5 pm to 7 am on Saturdays and Sundays in July.
If needs are urgent or emergency, do not delay care – proceed to the nearest open emergency department or call 911. Paramedics will remain available to the community and will reroute patients to the nearest available emergency department.
The closest emergency departments to the Durham site still operating 24 hours a day are in Hanover (20 km), Mount Forest (25 km), Markdale (28 km), Walkerton (28 km), and Owen Sound (46 km).
For non-urgent health care, call Health Connect Ontario at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions.
If you have a family doctor, you can also inquire about any same-day appointments or after-hours clinics.