Doctors Manitoba warn of emergency room closures over holidays [Video]

Doctors Manitoba is warning Manitobans that emergency rooms in rural and northern parts of the province might not be open when they need them.

According to a news release, the organization said only 18 hospital ERs are currently scheduled to be open 24/7 in December. It also found 28 health centre ERs will be fully closed over the holidays, while 24 will have limited hours or frequent closures.

“Manitobans who live in Winnipeg have an expectation that when they show up at HSC or they show up at St Boniface, that the emergency room doors are always open,” said Dr. Nichelle Desilets, president-elect of Doctors Manitoba. “But those of us that live in rural Manitoba know that that’s not always the case. And depending on where you live, the emergency medicine services may actually be quite unpredictable.”

Desilets, who works as a doctor in Neepawa, said staffing issues are the …