Staffing shortages prompt multiple emergency room closures around the province

Staffing shortages mean a handful of emergency departments in the Interior Health region are temporarily shutting their doors.

Residents of Merritt, B.C., will be without emergency department services at Nicola Valley Hospital for 48 hours as of Sunday morning.

Interior Health cited limited physician availability as the reason for the closure.

Emergency services will be unavailable from 8 a.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. Tuesday. Patients are urged to access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

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All other inpatient services will continue as normal at Nicola Valley Hospital.

Interior Health advises anyone in need of life-threatening emergency care to contact 9-1-1 for transport to the nearest facility.

The Merritt ER is normally open 24/7.

The E-R at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake was closed Saturday night due to a lack of nurses.

It marks the third night in a row it’s had to close.

Meanwhile, the ER in Lillooet will be closed until Monday morning due to a physician shortage.

Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted is encouraged to call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 or visit its website for non-emergency health information.

2:03 Merritt mayor taking action against province amid ER closures

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