PRINCE.EDWARD.ISLAND (CBC) - Some health services in central Newfoundland are being scaled back because of a shortage of workers.

Central Health said Wednesday that it is cancelling some elective surgeries at the James Paton Memorial Regional Hospital in Gander, and temporarily suspending echocardiogram procedures at the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor.

A release from the organization said emergency echocardiograms would be referred to another health authority.

The release didn't explain why there was a staff shortage, but it did say the public can get information on changes to the temporary suspension of services by calling the region's pandemic information line.

Like many other regions of the province, central Newfoundland has been seeing more and more cases of people showing up to hospitals and medical clinics complaining of flu-like symptoms.

The people affected by the temporary cutback of services at the two hospitals have been notified, the release said.