'I just find it absolutely appalling': Manitoba man forced to drive half hour to another ER after first had no doctor
A Manitoba man says he's lucky a recent injury which happened cutting fire wood wasn't more serious.
Kevin Barylski said he needed stitches but had to drive to the next town's emergency room for care in the Interlake-Eastern Health Region.
This past Saturday, Barylski said he broke the cardinal rule of cutting wood with a chainsaw—cut away from yourself.
"As I came through, and swing, it just caught at the end," he said as he acted out what happened.
The result was a gash in his knee that needed stitches.
Barylski said he was in the Arborg area so he went to the local emergency room.
"My dad went and said that they don’t administer stitches in that hospital anymore and that I’d have to go to Gimli because they don’t have a doctor on hand," he said.
Barylski said he went to the Arborg ER and staff did what they could, but he did have to drive the half an hour to Gimli to get eight stitches.
"I just find it absolutely appalling and shocking that I had to drive half an hour away to go get basic medical needs," he told CTV News Monday.
A representative from the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority (IERHA) tells CTV News there are ongoing physician shortages in the region.
For the last five years, it's been posting emergency room statuses—showing when and where a doctor is working an ER—on the health region's website.
“Anyone attending an emergency department without a physician onsite will be seen by a nurse and redirected or transported (depending on acuity and access to transportation) to sites that can deliver appropriate care,” reads the region's response.
With hunting season coming soon Barylski is concerned the area's ER may be without a doctor at a time it’s needed.
"Arborg, and every area around there too, it's an aging community. So what happens if there was a real emergency that happened and there wasn't a doctor?”
“For me it was the fact and I had to go and get this done, but if it were something that was more serious than that's when seconds are vital?” Barylski asks.
Barylski said he had a first-aid kit which he used, and advises everyone headed out into the country for any reason to make sure they have one on hand just in case they need to drive to an emergency room that's farther away.
The IERHA representative said during the pandemic, it found more physicians were able to take a shift in an emergency department as patients were reluctant to visit clinics and more recently, it is seeing the number of physician vacancies in emergency departments return to pre-covid levels.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.