Emergency services are to resume at the Radville Marian Health Centre according to a release from the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

“As the SHA resumes services across the province, health leaders have been working to ensure that there could be a safe re-opening with stable and predictable services while considering COVID cases in areas throughout the province,” reads the release.

“As part of the health system COVID-19 readiness plan, the SHA had temporarily converted 12 community hospitals, which included Radville, to Alternate Level of Care (ALC) sites to help build capacity for any potential surge in COVID-19 cases and to protect against outbreaks in the local facility.”

The SHA admits that one of the challenges that exists in Radville involves the recruitment of staff. However the organization was able to secure interim physician coverage for the last week of July and the month of August to allow emergency services to start back up beginning July 27.

The SHA says adequate human resources, skill enhancement and training, separation of staff and physical separation of space and COVID-19 cases are all taken into account when determining when emergency rooms are ready to reopen.

Other options are being explored for the health centre in Radville in order to provide emergency services in the community, which may include utilizing virtual care in the emergency room setting.