Health officials mum on reason behind continued Pine Falls hospital lockdown

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This article was published 09/04/2018 (3073 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A mysterious lockdown at Pine Falls Health Complex has left medical services suspended and health authority officials tight-lipped since Friday, when threats were allegedly made against local employees.

After a third-party reported threats to health-care practitioners Friday morning, the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority made the decision to suspend services and initiate a “code white” lockdown. As of Tuesday morning, the lockdown continues – with no word on when it can be expected to end.

All medical services have been suspended, ambulances have been diverted to other emergency departments, and people looking to visit patients have been turned away. While no staff or patients have been reported hurt, it remains unclear whether reports of the threats were credible or whether an ongoing risk is posed to the facility.

On Monday evening, the health authority released a statement indicating the lockdown would continue at least until Tuesday morning, adding, “RCMP continue to investigate the threats that were made against health-care providers.”

However, the statement was contradicted Monday by an Mountie spokesman, who told the Free Press the RCMP investigation into the matter was closed without charges by “early Friday afternoon.”

According to the spokesman, RCMP was called at 10 a.m. Friday, after an individual told staff a man in the community had threatened to bring a knife to the facility in Powerview-Pine Falls, located about 120 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

The threats were allegedly made off-site and relayed to staff by a third-party.

RCMP interviewed the man, declined to press charges, and closed their investigation the same day, the spokesman said. “It was determined no direct threats were made towards any staff.”

Health authority chief executive officer Ron Van Denakker declined comment on the discrepancy when reached by phone Monday afternoon. However, later in the day, a spokesperson provided a statement on his behalf reiterating the RCMP investigation remained ongoing.

When the spokesperson was pressed on the discrepancy, it was suggested the confusion originated within the RCMP itself.

A Powerview-Pine Falls city councillor – who did not want to be named – said people in the nearby community remain confused about the lockdown and no one with direct knowledge seems willing to tell the community what’s going on.

The councillor added it was disappointing the community wasn’t better informed of the alleged threats Friday morning, as some people only became aware of the situation after showing up at the complex to find the doors locked.

Powerview-Pine Falls Mayor Bev Dubé declined comment Monday.

“The (regional health authority) is working to put additional security measures in place that will assure patients, residents, their families and health-care providers that they are safe while in the Pine Falls Health Complex, once health-care service delivery resumes,” according to a statement released by the health authority Monday.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe