ER at Western Hospital to close for 12 hours beginning Saturday night

The emergency department at Western Hospital in Alberton, P.E.I., will be closed beginning Saturday from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday, according to a news release from Health PEI.

It said the brief closure is due to a temporary lack of registered nurses.The emergency room was also closed this year on Canada Day and Halloween.

The release said those with emergency medical needs should call 911 or seek emergency services when:

• Experiencing discomfort or tightness in the chest.
• Experiencing unusual shortness of breath.
• Experiencing abdominal pain.
• Experiencing prolonged and persistent headache or dizziness.
• An injury may require stitches or involve a broken bone.
• A child has prolonged diarrhea or vomiting.
• A baby under six months of age has a fever of 38 C or higher.

For urgent health information, Health PEI said to call 811 to speak to a nurse.

The nearest emergency department for those in the area is in Summerside, about 65 kilometres away.

More from CBC P.E.I.