Reduced Emergency Department capacity at Horizon’s Miramichi Regional Hospital Friday through Tuesday

(MIRAMICHI), – Horizon’s Miramichi Regional Hospital (MRH) Emergency Department (ED) will be operating at reduced capacity beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18 until 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22, due to an unexpected shortage of available staff.

The ED will remain open for medical emergencies, however Miramichi area residents are strongly urged to consider other care options for non-urgent medical needs.

Utilizing other options helps ensure New Brunswickers can access the care they need while also ensuring our emergency department teams can continue to provide quality emergency care.  

If you have a medical emergency, please call 911 or proceed to your nearest ED, including the MRH ED. Patients with the most critical health care needs will continue to be prioritized.

Here are examples of medical emergencies when you should call 911 or visit an emergency department:

• Discomfort or tightness in the chest
• Signs of stroke
• Unusual shortness of breath
• Abdominal pain
• Prolonged and persistent headache or dizziness
• An injury that may require stitches or involve a broken bone
• You have a child with prolonged diarrhea or vomiting
• You have a baby under six months of age with a fever of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher

If you are unsure if your medical condition is urgent, please call Tele-Care 811 to discuss the type of medical attention needed.

For non-urgent medical needs, continue to use other options of care, such as calling Tele-Care 811, visiting an after-hours clinic, consulting with a pharmacist or booking a virtual appointment through eVisitNB.ca (available 8 a.m.-8 p.m. seven days a week and covered by New Brunswick Medicare). Visit SoWhyWait.ca for additional information to choose the best option for care.

The following after-hours clinics are available in the Miramichi area:

• Miramichi East After Hours Clinic (4 Johnson Ave.) – Open Monday to Friday, 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To make an appointment, please call 778-9942 or visit: https://bit.ly/3PCyhDM

• Newcastle After Hours Clinic (250 Pleasant St.) – Open Monday to Friday, 6 to 8 p.m.

Here are examples of non-urgent medical needs that are best treated by other options of care:

• Sore throat, toothaches or earaches
• Possible bladder infections
• Rash (such as scabies, etc.)
• Testing for sexually transmitted infection
• Lower back pain from lifting or twisting
• Flu symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, chills and fever
• Prescription refills

We remain committed to helping everyone who needs medical care in our province. Actively recruiting and retaining physicians and nurses to the communities we serve is one of our top priorities, in addition to improving patient experience, addressing patient flow and increasing access to services. For further details about Horizon’s health care improvement plan and our four priority areas, visit HorizonNB.ca.  

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