Clearwater emergency room closing for 8 nights, 3 days after it closed for 5
Three days after it returned to 24-hour operation following five straight nights of overnight closures, an emergency department in the B.C. Interior is closing again. This time, it will be closed for eight nights in a row.
Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital will be on diversion from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily beginning Thursday night and continuing through Aug. 18, according to a statement from Interior Health.
The emergency room is scheduled to resume 24-hour service at 7 a.m. on Aug. 19.
Other inpatient services at the hospital will continue as normal, Interior Health said.
Closures due to limited staffing availability have become routine in Clearwater and in other rural communities around the province as B.C.'s health-care system struggles with worker fatigue and burnout.
Last week, the vice president of the BC Nurses’ Union told CTV Morning Live staffing shortages and wait times in hospitals across the province are the worst she's ever seen.
Adriane Gear said facilities have been understaffed for years, and that a lack of work-life balance for nurses working in health authorities has driven many to take leaves of absence, resign, or go to work for private companies.
Doctors have also been in short supply, leading to clinic closures and long waits for patients seeking primary care.
In Clearwater, when the local emergency room is closed, patients are diverted to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or 100 Mile House District General Hospital in 100 Mile House, both more than 100 kilometres away.
"Interior Health regrets this temporary change to normal operations," the health authority said in its statement.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.