BC Interior posted Mar 17, 2025 @ 06:00am by Iain Burns

Disastrous start to the week as 2 BC Interior emergency departments forced to close

Another two emergency departments in the BC Interior have been forced to close today due to a lack of staff.

This time, hospitals in Lillooet and 100 Mile House are affected.

In Lillooet, residents will be without emergency services from 7 am this morning till 8 am on Tuesday.

In 100 Mile House, it’s slightly less bad, with emergency care unavailable from 7 am today till 8 pm this evening.

<who> Photo credit: 123RF

People in need of urgent medical help are being told by Interior Health to head to Kamloops.

Those in 100 Mile House could also head to Williams Lake, according to the health authority.

It added: “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.”

There were more than 120 ER closures in the BC Interior in 2024, about double the number in 2023.

Speaking to NowMedia last year, Health Minister Josie Osborne said of the closures: “We are working closely with health authorities to hire more staff, to expand recruitment incentives for health-care workers, and to add resources to the ambulance system to ensure there is a timely response for when people need care.”

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