The territorial health and social services authority said operating room services at the hospital would be reduced from two to one operating room from July 25 to September 30 due to staffing levels below the normal. Operating room services were also closed for 10 days in early August as part of a regular summer shutdown.
Widespread staff shortages have led to cuts in health services across the territory in recent months. Services are currently reduced in 11 communities, including nine where only emergency services are offered.
The union says there is a national shortage of health care workers, but it had been warning the territorial government of a “looming health care crisis” for years.
“We have raised these issues with the employer on numerous occasions,” union president Gayla Thunstrom said in a statement. “Unfortunately, our healthcare workers are still sorely understaffed, beyond exhaustion and fear of risk to patients and their own health.”
The union said a “lack of meaningful commitment” from senior government officials has compounded the problem. Thunstrom said healthcare staff were blindsided by announcements and policies without consultation or notice.
The Government of the Northwest Territories announced new measures last month aimed at easing health care shortages. They include using paramedics to provide acute care support, funding nurses to bring loved ones up north during winter vacations, funding incentives for territorial government employees who refer nurses for hard-to-fill positions and international travel coverage for practitioners outside of Canada.
Territorial officials said at the time that, unlike changes to pay and benefits, these moves are not tied to the collective bargaining agreement and do not require union approval.
Matthew Mallon, a spokesman for the Department of Finance, which oversees human resources, said in a statement Monday that the territory was continuing to engage with the union on the issue.
“The GNWT is doing its best to address employee concerns and recognizes that this is a complex issue that cannot be resolved overnight or alone,” Mallon wrote.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 12, 2022.
Emily Blake, The Canadian Press
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