Kings County ER closed Monday evening, more than 20 closures since fall

The emergency department at Kings County Memorial Hospitalwill be closed Monday from3 p.m. until 10 p.m.due to a temporary lack of physician coverage.

The emergency department will reopen 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Health PEI has struggled to keep the emergency open its regular 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours, and the province has promised doctors dedicated to work in the emergency.

• Permanent ER docs to be hired for Montague hospital, province promises

There have been more than 20 closures of the ER at the Kings County Memorial Hospital since last fall because of a lack of doctors.

With the emergency department in Montague closed, residents are being directed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown for emergency care.

The province has a plan to fix the problem hiring more doctors just to cover the ER and extending clinic hours at the medical centre next door. It is now in the process of recruiting those permanent doctors, and the hospital and clinic hours are scheduled to change next weekend.

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