A Town of Rocky Mountain House councillor is frustrated that the local hospital's emergency department was closed for 30 hours last week.
"That's unacceptable," said Coun. Len Phillips during Tuesday's council meeting. "That cannot happen."
Phillips said he feels that closing emergency departments because of doctor shortages "is becoming normalized. I feel this is becoming too normal a practice.
"We need to start making ourselves known, being the squeaky wheel, because this is totally unacceptable that our emergency department keeps getting closed on a regular basis.
"If we don't do anything it's just going to keep getting closed."
Phillips called on Alberta Health Services to move doctors from other areas if a community is temporarily short-staffed. That's how a company with numerous franchises would handle staffing shortages at one location, he said.
"I don't see this as any different. If there is a shortfall in Rocky Mountain House or Drayton Valley or wherever it happens to be, I would expect someone from Red Deer or Edmonton or Calgary or wherever could come here to cover that shift.
"This isn't good. Especially going into the summer holidays, we know that the population out west quintuples on a weekend and that puts even more demand on our emergency department."
Rocky Mountain House is not alone with its emergency department problems. Drayton Valley's ER was closed on Sunday, he said.
"This is a problem that urgently needs to be taken care of. We can't have this anymore."
Phillips suggested getting Clearwater County on board. "It impacts their residents just as much as our residents."
The First Nations communities of Sunchild and O'Chiese are also affected and will be approached to see if they want to send letters.
Council voted unanimously to reach out to Clearwater County to send a joint letter voicing concerns about the hospital situation to Premier Danielle Smith, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange, Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre MLA Jason Nixon and Alberta Health Services.
Mayor Debbie Baich suggested the College of Physicians and Surgeons should be made aware of the community's concerns.
"It takes a really long time for people who apply for jobs in Rocky, whether it be nursing or doctors to get approval to work in the hospital. I think that is an issue as well."
Baich said pressure needs to be put on the college to look at the doctor shortage problem and "quit having this monopoly on being able to get doctors working."