Another weekend ER closure at South Okanagan General Hospital

Another weekend, another temporary emergency department closure at South Okanagan General Hospital.

On Saturday, Interior Health once again announced that due to limited physician availability, the emergency department in Oliver’s only hospital would be closed overnight, from Saturday at 6 p.m. to Sunday at 8 a.m.

Interior Health said patients needing care could visit Penticton Regional Hospital, but added that all other inpatient services at SOGH would continue as normal.

2:24 Solutions approved for ongoing ER closures

Saturday’s announcement came on the heels of a similar announcement just 24 hours earlier when the emergency department at SOGH was closed from Friday at 6 p.m. to Saturday at 1 p.m.

The emergency department has temporarily closed many times this year, with Interior Health telling Global News that the local physician group has struggled to secure shift coverage.

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“It’s frustrating to continue to hear about these closures and get these closures,” Oliver’s mayor, Martin Johansen, told Global News on Tuesday.

“I think we’ve had almost five in the last week, and the weekend was significant with a 24-hour closure and a 12-hour closure, as well.”