Some central Alberta communities are among 30 across the province currently experiencing temporary bed and space reductions at local hospitals and health care centres.

According to Alberta Health Services (AHS), those communities in west central Alberta include Rocky Mountain House, Rimbey, and the Town of Sundre.

At the Rocky Mountain House Health Centre, acute care is seeing a temporary staff shortage due to illness, leave, vacation, and vacancies. According to AHS, there is currently a bed reduction of 5 out of 31 acute care beds, leaving 84 per cent of those beds in operation.

The organization says the current situation in Rocky Mountain House began Dec. 10, 2021, with an anticipated end date of Sept. 30, 2022. That’s providing all conditions have been met, such as appropriate staffing levels have resumed, physician coverage restored, and pandemic response measures lifted. The organization further notes, however, that the anticipated end dates can flex based on whether services can safely be resumed.

At the Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre, AHS says no obstetrical services are available on site due to a temporary staff shortage from vacations, vacancies, and illness. However, the organization anticipates zero deliveries in Rimbey for July-September.

AHS says the service reduction in Rimbey began on Sept. 20, 2021 and is anticipated to be resolved by Aug. 15, 2022.

At the Myron Thompson Health Centre in Sundre, the facility currently has no obstetrical services on site due to a temporary physician shortage from illness, leave, vacation, and vacancies. AHS notes, however, only five deliveries there since 2020.

According to AHS, the current circumstances in Sundre began on April 6, 2020, with an anticipated end date of Aug. 29, 2022.

According to Alberta Health Services, the other communities currently impacted are:

• High Level,
• Fort Vermillion,
• Peace River,
• Fairview,
• Spirit River,
• Beaverlodge,
• McLennan,
• High Prairie,
• Slave Lake,
• Wabasca,
• Swan Hills,
• Lac La Biche,
• Boyle,
• Cold Lake,
• Whitecourt,
• St. Paul,
• Two Hills,
• Three Hills
• Fort Saskatchewan,
• Drayton Valley,
• Wainwright,
• Hardisty,
• Hanna,
• Drumheller,
• Airdrie,
• Calgary,
• Bassano.

“Albertans deserve a public health care system they can rely on,” said Alberta NDP Labour Critic Christina Gray, on Wednesday. “But after the UCP’s severe mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic, their ongoing push to privatize services, and their sustained attacks on frontline health care workers, access to health care for Albertans is more compromised than ever before.”

AHS says the organization makes every effort to secure staff and physician coverage before taking steps to reduce the number of beds and/or care spaces in any of their facilities, saying temporary reductions are only done as a last resort.

“Temporary reductions occur due to staff and physician vacations, scheduled upgrades and construction projects in order to enhance patient and family experiences. AHS plans and prepares for bed reductions to minimize impact on patients, staff, and physicians,” notes the AHS website.