Blind River emergency room temporary closure averted
A planned emergency room closure due to doctor shortage in Blind River on Friday has been avoided, the North Shore Health Network says.
CTV News reported the temporary closure announcement Wednesday and on Thursday morning, the health care group said in a news release the ER will remain open.
"NSHN would like to thank the community for your continued patience and understanding as we work with our partners towards sustainable resources to serve your healthcare needs," NSHN said.
It would have been the fifth closure in the last two weeks for the North Shore Health Network (NSHN), which consists of Blind River, Thessalon and Richard's Landing.
The Town of Blind River is nestled on Highway 17 in between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.
Patients in need of services would have been re-routed to either Thessalon -- 54 kilometres away -- or St. Joseph's General Hospital in Elliot Lake -- 57 kilometres away.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
"Look, nobody got into this line of work to not provide service for our communities. It's demoralizing as an administrator and I think it's doubly so for our clinic staff and the folks that really just want help and come to us in need," said NHSN CEO Tim Vine.
"Look, we need more, we need more physicians in the north. We've known that for a long time. I know NOSM increased its enrolment this year, but it's not enough."
The network recently was able to find coverage for its Thessalon site. That ER will resume operating Wednesday night as of 8 p.m.
"We need the policy levers at Queen's Park to start moving, especially around residency programs which is a bottleneck to providing more physicians into the system," Vine said.
The system is looking at an imbalance and what they need are more physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants along the North Shore and throughout the province of Ontario, he said.
CTV News also reached out to Blind River Mayor Sally Hagman, but didn't hear back before publication.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.