Services temporarily reduced at some Yukon community health centres

The Yukon government's department of Health and Social Services notified residents living in the communities of Mayo, Pelly Crossingand Destruction Bay earlier this week that services at their local health centres would be temporarily reduced.

A shortage in staff is said to be the reason.

Health centres in rural communities are a lifeline for those in medical distress. Whether community members use them to treat a minor cut, or require an emergency medivac, the services provided at thesecan mean the difference between life and death.

The recent service reductions areconcerning for 85-year-old Destruction Bay resident Charles Eikland Sr.

Eikland Sr. said he found out his local health centre is closed until July 24th only after going there and seeing a notice on the door.

He told CBC News that he had a close call last year. He saidthe thing that saved him was thenurse on duty at the health centre.

"I had a heart attack here," he said. "It's a lucky thing the nurse was here to get me on the plane, otherwise I'd be dead."

EiklandSr. fears that if something were to happen to him before the centre opens again, he'll have to drive an hour to Haines Junction for treatment.

Eikland said the Yukon Government needs to figure out a way to keep health centres open if it's going to keep promoting how great the territory is.

"They keep hollering, 'bring in some more tourists," he said. "Bring in more mining. Bring in more and more, but yet they don't think about 'well, we need somebody to look after them if people get hurt."

Mayo

The health centre in Mayo is closed until next Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, a nurse will be available during the health centre'sdaytime clinic hoursfor emergencies only.

Full services will resume on July 20th.

Susan Stewart lives about a half an hour away from Mayo.

As a former employee of the Mayo health centre, she blames the Yukon government for the staff shortages not just in Mayo, but in every community.

"They get no support," she told CBC News. "Our nurses are overworked."

Stewart said that people living in Mayo's surrounding communities also use itshealth centre. She said that during the summer months, touristsand miners frequent the centre.

Steward said that with the high demand for services, and with a shortage of staff, burnout happens way too often.

"There's a health care professional crisis all throughout North America," she said. "The community health care crisis in the Yukon is worsened because of that. But it's worsened before the shortage even happened because community nursing, the department is not willing to work with our nurses."

Now that the centre is closed, Stewart said people who need medical attention will have to travel three hours to Dawson City, or two hours toPellyCrossing.

"Most of us aren't going to have life-threatening problems," she said."But there are a few who will. Or it's going to turn life-threatening because they're trying to get to somewhere with healthcare."

'Recruiting efforts continue'

Cathy Stannard is the director of Community Nursing with the Yukon government. In a written statement to CBC News, she said the government acknowledges the challenges presented by reduced services.

She also wrote that the health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals is a priority, and that reducing services during staff shortages is one way to prevent burnout among nurses in communities.

The statement said that EMS isexpanding operations to mitigate the impacts of closures. This includes placing paramedics, when possible, in strategic locations. It said EMS has additional supports in Mayo, Teslin and Destruction Bay and will work with all clients to ensure they have access to emergency services.

In the meantime, Stannardwrote, recruiting efforts continue and the department's goal is to have full services return to the impacted communities at the dates shared with the public.

She still recommends that people who need emergency assistance call 911.