The emergency room at Oxbow’s Galloway Health Centre is open once again.
The service reopened on Monday morning at 8 a.m., after a closure that lasted several weeks.
The health centre was converted to an alternate level of care facility in May as part of the province’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twelve rural health facilities, including those in Oxbow and Arcola, were affected.
But shortly after Galloway’s emergency room was closed, the province announced its intentions to gradually restore emergency room services in the affected communities, with the reopening of those sites starting in mid-June.
The Arcola Health Centre reopened June 16.
In a message from the Galloway Health Centre that was posted on social media, it was noted people will notice some changes. The doors to the building will remain locked and people will be screened at the door before entering.
Everyone will be required to don a mask prior to entering the building. If someone has a personal mask, please wear it.
Social distancing will be maintained at all times.
Only one person will be allowed in the entryway at a time, unless additional people are from the same household or supporting someone who requires assistance. If the entryway is occupied, please wait outside or in a vehicle until it is clear. If it is a medical emergency that is life-threatening, please identify yourself and ask to move to the head of the line.
Lab appointments need to be booked in advance, and people are asked to come at their designated time.
The closure of emergency room services drew the ire of those in the affected communities and surrounding areas. People turned to social media to criticize the government, and a petition was launched in the Oxbow area to have rural ER services restored.
In the case of Oxbow and Arcola, people were particularly concerned because of the amount of industry in the southeast region, with oil and agriculture. And they viewed this as a particularly bad time for the closure, because spring seeding is underway.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority says it appreciates the co-operation and support of the community during this temporary disruption of emergency services.
