Eastern P.E.I. hospital ER reopens Saturday mornings

Starting Feb. 10, the emergency department at the Kings County Memorial Hospital in Montague, P.E.I., is reopening on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The hospital's emergency department has been closed on weekends since July 2023 due to staff shortages.

In a news release, Health P.E.I. said it "continues to work on increasing all staffing levels within the facility to further restore weekend emergency department services at KCMH."

When the closures were announced last summer, Health P.E.I. said it was to ensure there was enough coverage available to help avoid unplanned last-minute closures at the hospital.

The weekend closures were originally due to last until October, but Health P.E.I. later extended them until February.

The Montague hospital has the only ER on P.E.I. east of Charlottetown.

In the news release, Health P.E.I. said anyone with emergency medical needs should call 911 or seek emergency services when:

• experiencing discomfort or tightness in the chest;

• experiencing unusual shortness of breath;

• experiencing abdominal pain;

• experiencing prolonged and persistent headache or dizziness;

• an injury may require stitches or involve a broken bone;

• a child has prolonged diarrhea or vomiting; or

• a baby under six months of age has a fever of 38 C or higher.