Another emergency department in the BC Interior has been forced to temporarily close down due to a shortage of staff.
This time the hospital affected is in Lillooet.
Interior Health said the Lillooet Hospital and Health Centre didn’t have enough doctors to operate its emergency room between 7 pm on Sunday till 8 am this morning.
Residents were given about two hours of notice. They were told to head to Kamloops if they needed emergency care.
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So far this year, according to NowMedia’s assessment of Interior Health data, the ER in Lillooet has been closed 15 times.
Last year, it did not close at all.
Interior Health said in its public bulletin announcing the closure: “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.”
NowMedia has requested an interview with Health Minister Adrian Dix to discuss the closures, but he has not assented.
He told Williams Lake councillors earlier this year that his government will “continue to fight every day” to stop the closures.
