Paul Bickford & Michelle DaCruz
Northern News Services

Hay River (June 24/02) - Hay River's H.H. Williams Memorial Hospital will not be performing dental surgery this summer due to staffing shortages.

Wes Drodge, chief executive officer for the Hay River Community Health Authority, confirmed that nursing shortages have forced the hospital to discontinue dental surgeries during July and August.

"We will have to reassess the situation during the summer," said Drodge, adding that the dates are tentative and could change due to recruiting.

The authority is actively recruiting for health care professionals, in addition to the territorial recruiting efforts of the GNWT.

Drodge could not confirm whether this is the first time the hospital stopped performing dental surgery but he added: "We have had more staffing shortages this summer than before."

The current shortages are mainly due to staff vacations, said Drodge.

Last year, the hospital performed 65 surgeries during July and August, and 34 the summer before.

"These are elective surgeries," said Drodge. "They can be postponed or people can travel to have them done."

Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen raised the issue in the legislative assembly on June 14.

"Hay River has been providing a highly utilized dental surgery service for many years to many parts of the North," she said. "The Hay River Dental Clinic uses the hospital facilities, bringing in dental anaesthetists on a regular schedule."

Groenewegen said that due to budget cuts and staff reductions, no dental surgeries could be scheduled until the end of October, meaning the cancellation of many required procedures for children and adults.

"This can potentially lead to further dental and even medical complications when left unattended," she said. "This is a very serious matter."

Hay River dentist Dr. Jim Tennant said he is concerned about the situation.

Tennant notes that the Hay River Dental Clinic uses the operating room for a lot of general anaesthetic surgery.

And he notes there is a backlog in Inuvik and Stanton Hospital in Yellowknife.

That means the patients will have to sit and wait until October or longer, he said.