The loss of medical services in the Melita Health Centre began in 2022 when the hospital ER was closed down. It has taken a community effort, and partnership with Shared Health, to bring a plan of returned care to Melita's clinic and hospital.
"We formed a small group to come up with a proposal, something that would kind of fit our hospital out here. It wouldn't take a whole lot more funding," shares Melita Mayor Bill Holden, "and it would kind of be something that other hospitals could use too as a way of moving forward. And so that's been on the books for two years now and finally we got recognition by the provincial government and the Minister of Health. And we're really happy to see that. It's a long time coming, so we're pretty happy with it," he adds.
The announcement was made last week Thursday that the Province is delivering better primary and community health care to the town of Melita, Municipality of Two Borders and Canupawakpa Dakota Nation with new investments in front-line staffing for the Melita Health Cenre.
An additional nurse practitioner will be added to Melita, to complete a total complement of three nurse practitioners. As well a licensed practical nurse (LPN) and a mental health and addictions community support worker is being added to the front-line health workers to help address primary care needs in Melita, Two Borders and the surrounding area including nearby First Nation communities. Government funding will also allow the Melita clinic to extend its hours into the evening, so families can access care after work or school.
"If nothing else, it gives us a little stability out here. People have been really worried about the future of the health care center and with this proposal that we've proposed to the provincial government, it's a first step. We've got a long way to go here yet. There's a lot of other things to do, but this gives us a little bit of stability for the people who are working in the hospital itself and maybe they'll feel more comfortable getting more people bidding out here and just better atmosphere and you know little better feeling for the people in the area.”
Discussions continue to bring back medical health services in their area, including diagnostics with lab and x-ray as well as EMTs and ambulance service.
The Melita area had 8 EMTS but now have none. Mayor Holden says in their current situation residents are waiting up to 3 1/2 hours or longer for an ambulance to come after the 911 call, and then EMT's need to navigate which ER is open.
"We've got to get either one or two ambulances back here," adds Holden. "The situation out here is very dire."
"We're supposed to have eight with two ambulances that would cover 24-hour service, 2 shifts to 12 hours, and right now we're down to nothing," says Holden. "So, we have ambulances coming from as far away as Minnedosa, I believe. So that's got to be resolved, and we are going to be discussing this in the near future with Shared Health and the provincial government. But yeah, it's tough."
Please listen to more with Mayor Bill Holden below.