Family blames Bonavista ER closure for man's death in ambulance

Shelley Gosselin says the night before her father, Charles Marsh, died, he was worried.

On Feb. 19, the 78-year-old man experienced an asthma attack, and his medication wasn't working. Gosselin said her father drove himself to the Bonavista emergency room for oxygen but it wasn't open.

"The parking lot was empty, the doors were locked, and there was a sign saying closed," she said Tuesday.

The Bonavista emergency room closed for days at a time in February, opening only when Eastern Health could secure enough staff for the facility. According to a pressrelease from Eastern Health, the emergency room was shut down from Feb. 17-21.

Gosselin, who lives in Ottawa, got a phone call from her father after he returned home.

"He said, 'My dear, somebody is going to die over this.' Never an inkling that he would be the one," she said.

Gosselin said her father hoped the asthma attack would end,but it didn't. The next morning he decided to call an ambulance.

"The ambulance came after approximately 25 minutes or so, and they took him. He walked from his door onto the ambulance and approximately an hour later he passed away in the ambulance en route to Clarenville," she said.

Gosselin said she hasn't gotten clear answers about how her father diedbut she believes "100 per cent"if the Bonavista emergency room had been open, things would have turned out differently.

"I really do believe that his death was needless, that he would still be here with us because he would have gotten the oxygen and the medication that he needed," she said.

CBC News has asked Eastern Health for comment.

'We cannot let this go unresolved'

Gosselin, who lives in Ottawa travelled back to Bonavista after her father died. She said she sees signs of her father, a carpenter, throughout her hometown.

"He was well known to the whole area of Bonavista for his carpentry skills. People were always calling him up to ask advice on things, and he's been involved in so many projects in the infrastructure of Bonavista," she said.

She called the emergency room closures "unfathomable" and said her family plans to speak out.

"Eastern Health, the Newfoundland and Labrador government they are responsible for the Bonavista emerg not being open," she said. "I truly believe that my dad would be here today if it had been."

Gosselin said her dad had no major health issues besides his asthma, which had previously put him in the hospital about a month ago.

"It's just taken in stride, as if, you know, this is just a senior citizen passing away, and this is not the case. My dad was a very healthy, vibrant man," she said.

On Wednesday night, Bonavista residents are holding a town hall meeting focused on health care. Gosselin said she'll be there.

"We cannot let this go unresolved. This is something that has to be addressed. It has to be addressed right away, before somebody else dies needlessly."

In a statement to CBC News, Eastern Health said it is unable to publicly discuss any specifics regarding an individual patient case due to the Personal Health Information Act.

The health authority also saidthe Bonavista Peninsula Health Care emergency department will be staffed for about 19 days in March, and that Eastern Health is continuing efforts to secure additional staffing for the remainder of the month.

"Eastern Health remains focused on actively recruiting for the Bonavista Peninsula Health Centre emergency department," read the statement.

'Slightly optimistic'

Marsh's death comes after months of protests from Bonavista residents, worried the worst willhappen while the emergency room is closed.

Bonavista Mayor John Norman said he can't say for sure if the situation would have been different had the emergency room been open but he's been warning Eastern Health that the closures could have dire consequences.

"This has been a reoccurring point of concern, and unfortunately we have reached that point where it looks quite possibly that a tragedy could have been averted if emergency medical services were more closely available at the Bonavista hospital," he said.

Earlier in February, the Bonavista town council announced plans to offer financial incentives and land to attract physicians to the region.

But Norman said the situation is improving he said the emergency room has secured enough staff to remain open for most of March. He said discussions with some physicians are showing promise.

"I feel optimistic slightly optimistic," he said.

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