Just about a year ago, Sackville nearly saw the loss of its 24 hour emergency care at its local hospital. Due to political pressure and local activism, the hospital remains at its full function for now.

The future of the hospital, which serves Sackville and multiple surrounding rural communities, remains in question as New Brunswick’s healthcare system is under review. Health Minister Dorothy Shephard is looking for public and professional feedback to inform the provincial health plan.

Sackville Deputy Mayor Ron Aiken wrote “A Vision of Health Care in Sackville and the Tantramar Region,” calling for the expansion and security of the Sackville Memorial Hospital’s services.

CHMA called family doctor and emergency physician Dr. Allison Dysart, who has been practicing in Sackville for nearly 25 years, to discuss how the hospital stands. He was able to confirm that about half of the hospital’s outpatients are from out of Sackville.

Part of Aiken’s letter to the province advocates for expanding the hospital’s services, rather than reducing them. Patients who need a CT scan or an MRI have to be sent to Moncton, by either car or ambulance.

Adding these machines to the Sackville Hospital, Dr. Dysart says, may not be impossible but it will definitely be expensive.

He is unsure if the provincial government will see adding CT and MRI services to Sackville as worth the cost.

Transporting patients to Moncton is fine, he says, as long as it does not interfere with ambulance services in the province.

Right now, however, it does.

Dr. Dysart would also like to see more mental health services at the Sackville Hospital.

Many services offered currently operate out of Moncton, and are not available at all hours.

Emergency care for mental health patients in the area is also minimal, especially at night.

Intensive care is another reason for a patient to be sent to Moncton. The Sackville Hospital does not have any ICU beds, but does have over 20 for regular inpatient care.

Should somebody in the area need to be hospitalized due to symptoms of COVID-19, Dr. Dysart says they would have to be sent straight to Moncton.

As for the future of New Brunswick’s healthcare, Dr. Dysart is not buying into any promises yet.

Expect updates about Health Minister Dorothy Shephard's consultation tour throughout New Brunswick, including Sackville, in the coming months.