Once again, a shortage of staff is leading to temporary closures at Vancouver Island health facilities.
Port Hardy Hospital will be closed overnight from Dec. 15 until the morning of Dec. 19 between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m., Island Health said in a statement.
The hospital remains open on those days from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cormorant Island Community Health Centre’s emergency department will be closed around the clock through to the morning of Jan. 3 when it reopens at 8 a.m. That closure came into effect on Thursday.
Unless otherwise announced, the Port McNeill Hospital’s emergency department will remain open for 24 hours daily.
Anyone who has a medical emergency while the emergency departments are closed should call 911 or go to Port McNeill’s emergency department, Island Health said.
Island Health and B.C. Emergency Health Services have processes in place to make sure patients calling 911 are transported to an appropriate location. If you are not sure if a situation qualifies as a medical emergency, call HealthLinkBC at 811 to speak to a registered nurse.
First Nations communities and individuals can also contact First Nations Health Authority’s First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. seven days a week.
First Nations people and their families can call 1-855-344-3800 to book an appointment.
Port Hardy and Port McNeill hospitals have been dealing with intermittent closures since the spring due to a shortage of doctors and nurses.
In recent weeks, one patient collapsed at the registration desk at the Port Hardy Hospital when its emergency department was closed.
In two other cases, there was confusion about what to do before an ambulance showed up.
Island Health said it had clarified its processes to avoid confusion in the future.
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