A temporary emergency department will be established in Dauphin as repairs to the city’s hospital are ongoing following flooding, according to Premier Wab Kinew. Kinew, in a video shared on his social media accounts, assured the community that emergency department services will be restored by Labour Day. The temporary facility, while the hospital undergoes repairs, will maintain high-quality standards.
Details about the temporary emergency department’s location, the extent of services it will offer, and operating hours were not disclosed in the video. Prairie Mountain Health and Shared Health, responsible for healthcare services in the region, did not provide additional information in response to inquiries.
Dauphin and the Parkland region experienced heavy rainfall in late June and early July, leading to flooding at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre. The basement flooding caused power outages and damage to the HVAC system, resulting in the evacuation of the building and relocation of 54 patients to other health facilities across Manitoba.
The hospital’s closure has forced local residents to seek emergency medical care in neighboring communities like Ste. Rose and Grandview. A memo circulated to Prairie Mountain staff post-flooding indicated that critical infrastructure in the hospital’s basement was affected, with ongoing service disruptions expected for several months.
Concerns have been raised by residents, including dialysis patients facing long drives for treatment and families separated from loved ones due to the hospital’s closure. Kinew and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara were unavailable for comment on the matter.
The Prairie Mountain Health website, which provides updates on services in Dauphin, did not mention the establishment of a temporary emergency department as of its last update on August 7.