Residents of Lunenburg will have greater access to various health care providers with the creation of a new Collaborative Emergency Centre at Fishermen's Memorial Hospital. It will be the seventh emergency centre established in the province and will provide faster access to doctors and nurses. Health Minister Dave Wilson says it will help to address issues of long waits and overcrowding. However, it's not known when the centre will officially be open to the public. Wilson says more exploratory work is needed regarding staffing and infrastructure.
Wilson says the new centre will also reduce the stress of emergency room closure rates at Fishermen's Memorial. South Shore Health is currently working with officials at the Department of Health and Wellness to develop the best possible model to meet the community's needs. Nova Scotia's first Collaborative Emergency Centre opened in Parrsboro in July 2011. There are now CECs in Pugwash, Tatamagouche, Annapolis Royal, Musquodoboit Harbour, and Springhill.
