WINGHAM – For the second consecutive weekend, the emergency department (ED) at the Wingham and District Hospital will be closed for a 14-hour window.
On Aug. 3, the Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance (LWHA) announced the Wingham ED will close on Saturday, Aug. 6 at 5 p.m. and reopen on Sunday, Aug. 7 at 7 a.m. “as a result of ongoing healthcare staff shortages.”
The Wingham ED was also closed for one night last weekend due to staff shortages.
In a press release, LWHA CEO Karl Ellis said “our staff, board, physicians and leadership regret that we have to take this step. COVID continues to be present throughout our community and a single staff sick call may result in additional potential closures.”
“We continue to be thankful for our community’s patience and understanding,” states the release.
LWHA asks those with a medical emergency to call 911 during the closure. Ambulances will remain available to the community and will be re-routed to surrounding hospitals to ensure local residents continue to have access to the emergency services they need.
For non-urgent health care call Health Connect Ontario at 811, which is available 24/7 for non-emergency health-related questions.
The closest hospitals to Wingham are:
- Listowel – 35 km
- Clinton – 36 km
- Walkerton – 39 km
- Palmerston – 43 km
- Goderich – 47 km
- Seaforth – 49 km
