B.C. interior community left without emergency services overnight

The Ashcroft Hospital emergency department has been forced to close overnight due to an unexpected lack of staff.

“The Ashcroft emergency department will be closed from 11 p.m. tonight (Friday) until 8 a.m. Saturday morning and from 9:20 p.m. Saturday night until 8 a.m. Sunday morning,” a release from Interior Health said.

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Emergency services during the closure will be available in Kamloops or 100 Mile House, it said.

During the closure, residents requiring urgent care should call 911 or HealthLink BC at 811 to speak to a nurse about a health issue, according to Interior Health.

The unexpected closure is said to be temporary and the ER in Ashcroft will return to regular hours at 8 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 30.

The Ashcroft Hospital ER was shut down at least two other weekends in 2018 due to staff shortages.