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Overcrowded New Brunswick hospitals a concern for Vitalité Health Network
Vitalité Health Network concerned about what’s to come.In a news release, Vitalité asked New Brunswickers to avoid coming to the emergency department at the Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre except in true emergencies because of a high rate of occupancy within the hospital.It encouraged people to seek medical attention at walk-in clinics or by calling Tele-Care (811), and said people would need to prepare for a long wait if they did visit the ER, especially those seeking non-emergency care.Vitalité Health Network President and CEO Gilles Lanteigne said there are three main culprits creating the problem: inadequate staffing levels, patients in hospital beds who are actually in need of long-term care and a high overall rate of