Emergency department in Oliver to undergo another temporary closure

For the 19th time this year, the emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will undergo a temporary closure.

Interior Health announced the closure on Friday afternoon, just before 4 p.m., three hours before the 12-hour closure was slated to start.

The closure runs Friday night to Saturday morning, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and is due to limited physician and nursing availability.

The emergency department is normally open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

2:24 Solutions approved for ongoing ER closures

Interior Health patients needing emergency care can access that at Penticton Regional Hospital during this time.

“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,” said IH.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

All other inpatient services will continue as normal at South Okanagan General Hospital.

The temporary emergency department closure is just one of many throughout the Interior Health region.

Since Jan. 1, there have been 52 temporary closures — including 18 and counting so far in July — which Interior Health calls temporary service interruptions.