The emergency room in Senneterre, in Abitibi, will be open 24 hours a day starting March 7. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, made the announcement to the National Assembly on Thursday morning, information confirmed by the CISSS of Abitibi-Témiscamingue in the afternoon.
Since mid-October, the Senneterre emergency department has been closed evenings and nights due to a lack of personnel. Citizens and the City of Senneterre denounced this reduction in service. The partial closure of the establishment may have contributed to the death of a man at the end of 2021. The Coroner’s Office launched an investigation into this case in early December.
The City of Senneterre has set up a financial incentive program aimed at attracting caregivers to the region.
During a press briefing on Thursday, the president and director general of the CISSS de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue Caroline Roy confirmed that two nurses and a nursing assistant have recently been hired at Senneterre, in particular thanks to the contribution of the community. Absent staff are also back, allowing the service to reopen 24 hours a day.
Abitibi-Témiscamingue is facing an unprecedented labor shortage.
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