BC Interior posted Jun 10, 2025 @ 06:15am by Iain Burns

Another 2 BC Interior hospitals forced to shut down their emergency departments

Another two emergency departments in the BC Interior have been forced to close temporarily.

Lillooet Hospital and Health Centre is once again one of the affected facilities.

Its emergency room shut down at 7 pm on Monday and is due to reopen at 8 am on Wednesday.

Anyone in need of emergency care should head to Kamloops, Interior Health explained in a bulletin.

<who> Photo credit: 123RF

The other emergency room affected is at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater.

That facility shut down last night and is due to reopen at 7 am this morning.

Anyone in need of emergency care has been told to head to Kamloops or 100 Mile House while the emergency department is unavailable.

No other services have been affected at either hospital.

Interior Health added in its bulletin: “People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.

“Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.”

Send your comments, news tips, typos, letter to the editor, photos and videos to [email protected].