'Our services are being eroded': Magrath residents voice concerns on state of rural healthcare

Magrath is the latest community feeling the pinch of a staffing shortage that seems to be plaguing rural Alberta.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) recently announced laboratory and x-ray services at the Magrath Health Centre will be temporarily closed as of Nov. 1 because of staffing issues.
Finding qualified staff to work in rural Alberta health centres has been a challenge as of late.
On Sept. 9, the Fort Macleod Health Centre was forced to close its emergency department for a day because it didn't have any doctors on site.
One month later, Milk River did the same thing, shutting down for the Thanksgiving long weekend.
Now, people in Magrath will have to drive to Raymond, Cardston or Lethbridge for blood work or x-rays.
"I'm very disappointed because, not just because of our lab services, but because this has been an ongoing concern. Our services are being eroded," said Rhonda Murphy, a concerned Magrath resident.
"The community as a whole is very concerned about all of our services, how they've been taken away little by little and how we haven't been informed about what's going on."
AHS said it's working hard to fill the positions needed to keep all health centres up and running.
"We continue to address staffing challenges related to COVID-19 and as we work to recruit new staff to fill a number of vacant positions in southern Alberta," said an AHS spokesperson in a statement provided to CTV News.
"Alberta Precision Laboratories has been actively recruiting for a staff position in Magrath for the last four months, without any successful candidates. We are focused on deploying available staff to larger community lab sites, such as Raymond, Milk River and Cardston, to maintain adequate service levels in the region."
The statement went on to say that these are temporary measures, and the hope is to have the lab open by early next year.
The recent pause in local services has people in the community concerned about the future of rural healthcare.
Back in March, AHS moved the town's ambulance and medic to Raymond, which also caused delays in emergency care.
"We would like to be considered, we would like to be able to live our lives, we would like some help in what we're doing and when the government makes a decision, we would like to feel that in the end, they're trying to do something for us," said Arthur Bullock, president of the Magrath Senior Centre.
"Help us out a bit, don't always just take from us."
What locals say they want to see from AHS above all else is a plan, and clear, direct communication.
"I think that AHS needs to realize that they're dealing with real people. I think they've kind of lost that concept," said Murphy.
"They're dealing with numbers and schedules, and that kind of thing. But there are real people who are being affected by the decisions that are being made."
AHS said it regrets any inconvenience this recent change in Magrath may cause and it is asking for the public's understanding as it continues to address the many staffing challenges currently facing the healthcare system.
For more information regarding lab locations, hours of operation, and potential bookings people are asked to visit www.albertaprecisionlabs.ca or call 1-833-572-0577.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
200 bodies found in Mariupol as war rages in Ukraine's east
Workers digging through rubble found 200 bodies in Mariupol, Ukrainian authorities said Tuesday, another grim discovery in the ruined port city that has seen some of the worst suffering of the 3-month-old war.

EXCLUSIVE | Supreme Court Justice Mahmud Jamal on his journey to Canada’s highest court
Justice Mahmud Jamal sat down with CTV National News' Omar Sachedina for an exclusive interview ahead of the one-year anniversary of his appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada. Jamal is the first person of colour to sit on the highest court in the country, bringing it closer to reflecting the diversity of Canada.
Death toll from Saturday's storm hits 10 across Ontario and Quebec
As the death toll related to the powerful storm that swept Ontario and Quebec on Saturday reached 10 on Monday, some of the hardest-hit communities were still working to take stock of the damage.
Trudeau faces chants, pounding drums as he walks through crowd at Kamloops memorial
The prime minister made comments following a memorial gathering in Kamloops to mark one year since the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc Nation announced the remains of up to 215 children were detected at a former school site.
Conservative party ends its investigation into complaint about a racist email
The Conservative Party of Canada says its ended its investigation into a racist email sent to leadership contender Patrick Brown's campaign team after the party member purportedly behind it resigned their membership.
Walk out at trade meeting when Russia spoke 'not one-off,' says trade minister
The United States and four other nations that walked out of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group meeting in Bangkok over the weekend underlined their support Monday for host nation Thailand, saying their protest was aimed solely at Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine.
Canadian study finds link between air pollution and severity of COVID-19 infection
An extensive study of thousands of COVID-19 patients in Ontario hospitals found links between the severity of their infections and the levels of common air pollutants they experience.
After 3 months of war, life in Russia has profoundly changed
Three months after the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, many ordinary Russians are reeling from those blows to their livelihoods and emotions. Moscow's vast shopping malls have turned into eerie expanses of shuttered storefronts once occupied by Western retailers.
China's bet on homegrown mRNA vaccines holds back nation
China is trying to navigate its biggest coronavirus outbreak without a tool it could have adopted many months ago, the kind of vaccines that have proven to offer the best protection against the worst outcomes from COVID-19.