Brandon MDs fill weekend shifts after urgent memo

BRANDON — In an email marked “urgent request,” Prairie Mountain Health asked its physicians to cover four days at Brandon Regional Health Centre’s emergency department, including this weekend’s shifts.

When the memo was sent Wednesday, there were 10 vacant ER shifts from Thursday to Sunday, including day, evening and night shifts.

“Due to unforeseen physician shortages, we are looking for urgent help in the Brandon ED, particularly for this week,” read the email, which was obtained by the Brandon Sun.

The shifts had all been filled by Thursday afternoon.

“(The ER) will be open 24-7 this weekend,” Prairie Mountain chief executive officer Treena Slate said.

“Our teams prioritize patient care and work proactively to manage summer holiday schedules and leaves while maintaining service levels. Often, physicians are encouraged to pick up shifts to ensure each shift is well-staffed. These are anticipated pressures that PMH prepares for each year.”

It was distressing to hear the second-biggest ER in the province had significant gaps in coverage, a spokesperson for Manitoba’s physicians’ advocacy group said.

“Doctors Manitoba is very concerned about the high degree of distress and burnout among the Brandon ER physician team, due to sustained chronic high vacancy rates,” the spokesperson said.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said Wednesday that 201 net new doctors have been hired in the province since the NDP formed government.

Since April, 53 physicians have been working in the Prairie Mountain region and three of those are emergency department physicians in Brandon.

Asagwara said sending urgent communications is an approach that’s taken when there’s unexpected staffing changes and vacant shifts need to be filled.

“We look forward to the time and the day when those sort of urgent memos don’t need to be sent out to staff, but we also see that we’re making progress,” Asagwara said in a phone interview.

“Of course, there’s much more work that needs to be done, but I’m really grateful that we are able to do that work with our partners by listening to doctors, working directly with them, so that we can retain, recruit and train more physicians in Brandon and in Westman.”

It has been almost two years since the NDP were elected, and health care has gotten worse, said Manitoba Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan.

“I’m very worried for the people living in this region and the doctors who are facing burnout and being overworked,” he said.

The president of Doctors Manitoba warned about gaps in physician coverage in rural areas two months ago. Neepawa physician Dr. Nichelle Desilets reminded people to be aware of unstable emergency room hours of operation this summer.

Prairie Mountain Health has 33 hospitals. Seven have ERs that are reliably open 24-7. Those are in Brandon, Dauphin, Killarney, Neepawa, Russell, Swan River and Virden.

This weekend, there will be no ER services available in Boissevain, Glenboro, Grandview, Hamiota or Treherne.

— Brandon Sun