The emergency department at the South Okanagan General Hospital is being temporarily closed as there aren’t enough doctors available to staff it.
There will be no emergency operations from 8 a.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. Monday. It will re-open until 6 p.m., but will then close again until 8 a.m. Tuesday morning.
The region has been struggling with a doctor shortage for more than a year.
There were fears in April the emergency room would have to close because there weren’t enough physicians, but this is the first time since April of 2016 the ER has actually shut down.
READ MORE: Staffing shortages plague Oliver Hospital ER
The former chief of staff, Dr.Peter Entwistle, resigned over staffing problems in the emergency room and other operational issues.
-with files from Shelby Thom