Emergency department at Nakusp hospital to be closed 8 hours this weekend

The emergency department at Arrow Lakes Hospital in Nakusp will undergo a temporary closure this weekend.

Interior Health (IH) announced Friday the emergency department will be closed from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 1.

The reason for the partial closure is due to “temporary limited staffing availability,” Interior Health says.

IH did not mention if the limited staffing availability was due to a lack of doctors or nurses.

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The emergency department at Arrow Lakes Hospital will resume regular operation at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

IH also said area residents should take note of the following if they require care while the emergency department is closed:

• Vernon Jubilee Hospital, 2101 32nd St., Vernon
• Queen Victoria Hospital, 1200 Newlands Rd., Revelstoke
• Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, 1200 Hospital Bench, Trail
• Kootenay Lake Hospital, 3 View St., Nelson
• Slocan Community Health Centre, 401 Galena Ave., New Denver
• Call HealthLink BC at 811 (24-hour service) if you are unsure of your need to seek emergency care.

Earlier this summer, the emergency department at Arrow Lakes Hospital was closed due to temporary limited staffing.

Also, the emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver underwent two overnight closures. Both were due to a lack of physician coverage.