January 2, 2023– St. John’s, NL: Eastern Health advises the public that the emergency services at the Dr. Walter Templeman Health Care Centre on Bell Island will be temporarily closed due to current human resource challenges. The temporary closures will take place on:
Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. to Thursday, January 5, 2023, at 8:00 a.m.
Patients with a medical emergency who require an ambulance should call 911 for transportation to a city hospital. Those who feel they have a serious or urgent medical problem should proceed to an Emergency Department in St. John’s.
If you are unsure whether you or a loved one should go to the Emergency Department, please call the NL Health Line at 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours, seven days a week. The HealthLine also has a nurse practitioner (NP) virtual care service that can prevent unnecessary emergency room visits for non-emergent issues. Appointments with NPs over the phone or by video are available every day 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., including weekends. Please note that appointments to see the 811 NP can usually be accommodated within three days.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the NL Health Line at 811.
While emergency services are closed, all other services will continue as usual, including:
• Long-term care
• Primary Health Care services (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. except for statutory holidays). This includes the primary health care clinic, community health, laboratory and X-ray services, and outpatient services. Patients may call 709-488-2821 for an appointment.
• The Opioid Management Clinic (seven days a week, 24 hours a day)
Eastern Health remains focused on the safe delivery of care for the people of the Bell Island area and apologizes for this service disruption. We continue to focus on providing safe and quality care, and recruitment efforts are ongoing.
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