Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter
The Hôpital du Suroît in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield is coping with severe labour shortages, brought on by government legislation clamping down on the use of private health agencies.
After closing 29 beds since June, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO) confirmed there is a possibility that an additional 30 beds will be closed before the end of the month.
According to a communications representative for the regional health authority, the closures represent less than five per cent of the total number of available beds across the CISSSMO and are a temporary measure.
“We are currently working to reorganize services and recruit new staff to replace the independent workforce and reopen beds,” said the CISSSMO representative in an email.
“We are also closely monitoring the situation at our other two hospitals,” she confirmed. As of now, the Barrie Memorial Hospital in Ormstown and the Anna Laberge Hospital in Chateauguay remain unaffected by reductions in the use of placement agencies.
As of last week, at least 127 agency staff have been hired. “We are continuing our efforts in this direction,” she explained, while noting that intensive recruitment campaigns are also underway to attract new workers for the future Vaudreuil-Soulanges hospital.
Ambulances being redirected
Along with the closure of more beds, the CISSSMO has confirmed that ambulance routes have been redistributed such that patients from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield will now be taken to the Anna Laberge Hospital.
This follows a previous directive issued in May that temporarily required non-priority calls involving residents of Hemmingford, Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague, Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, Sainte-Martine, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Chateauguay, Saint-Urbain-Premier, and Saint-Étienne-de-Beauharnois be redirected to the Barrie Memorial Hospital.
According to the CISSSMO, “The redrawing of ambulance services within the territory will enable the population to maintain access to safe, quality health care services in neighbouring establishments.”
Users requiring immediate care will continue to be transported to their local facility.