B.C. emergency room closed for 3rd time in 9 days

South Okanagan General Hospital is seen in this image from the Interior Health website.

The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

While theoretically open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Oliver emergency room is one of several smaller facilities around the province that continue to struggle with closures.

South Okanagan General Hospital's emergency department was also closed for several hours on Tuesday and overnight on Nov. 1 and 2.

Such closures are typically caused by a lack of available physicians or nurses, though Interior Health's latest notice for South Okanagan General Hospital does not specify the reason for this weekend's closure.

The health authority said in a statement Saturday morning that "temporary changes to emergency department hours" meant emergency services would be unavailable at the facility beginning at noon.

The emergency room closure will continue until 7 p.m. on Sunday, according to Interior Health.

"Patients can access care at Penticton Regional Hospital during this time," the health authority said in its statement.

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

Penticton Regional Hospital is approximately 40 kilometres away from the Oliver facility.

"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," Interior Health said.

It also advised anyone who is unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted to call HealthLink BC at 811 or visit healthlinkbc.ca.