Future uncertain for Halifax's Camp Hill Veterans hospital

Questions are being raised about the future of the Camp Hill Veterans Memorial hospital in Halifax.

A notice has been sent to volunteers, saying there are so many empty beds on the sixth floor that admissions to the area will stop, and other units will also close as more rooms in the hospital become unoccupied.

Only Second World War and Korean War veterans are currently eligible for admission to Camp Hill.

According to the letter, 17 rooms were unoccupied at the end of February and a transition plan for the hospital has been activated.

Veterans Affairs issued a statement Thursday evening, saying that while Camp Hill will no longer be admitting veterans to the sixth floor, there are vacancies on other floors so new admissions can be accommodated.

“At this point there are no vets actively waiting for placement,” said the department in its statement.

“Fifteen vets at Camp Hill passed away in January and 13 deaths in February.  As such, Camp Hill is experiencing lower occupancy and the decision to stop admitting to the sixth floor is part of the transition plan.”

CTV News has also learned that the hospital has been used to alleviate overcrowding in the emergency room at the Halifax Infirmary. A spokesperson for Capital Health said five people were moved from the ER to Camp Hill last week.

The letter states that when construction begins to expand Dartmouth General, some patients will be moved to Camp Hill.

Former Nova Scotia health minister Maureen MacDonald said Ottawa has made it clear that changes are coming to hospital care for veterans.

“The federal government made it clear sometime in 2012 that they were going to get out of the business of long-term care to veterans right across the province,” said MacDonald.

“This tells me that the federal government are changing and withdrawing services for long-term care, just like they closed veterans offices around the province.”

Veterans Affairs said any veteran who needs long-term care because of a service-related condition will still have access to a bed. It also said veterans who reside at Camp Hill will continue to receive the care and support they have grown accustomed to.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Rick Grant