The Port Hardy Hospital emergency department will be closed Thursday, Dec. 28, due to staff shortages. It is the second such closure this week.
Island Health announced the closure Wednesday, saying that the Port Hardy ER would be closed due to “temporary limited care provider availability.” It’s usually open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The emergency department is scheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. on Friday. All other inpatient services will operate normally during the emergency department closure.
Island Health advised those experiencing a medical emergency to call 911 and to proceed to Port McNeil Hospital’s ER “if possible.” Visiting the Port Hardy emergency department during closed hours may delay access to care, it said.
“Island Health acknowledges this is not an ideal situation for the community and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience experienced by this temporary service interruption,” the statement read.
The closure is the second this week due to staff shortages. The emergency department was also closed on Monday.
Port McNeill and Port Hardy hospital ER’s experienced months of revolving overnight closures last year due to staff shortages.
On Dec. 5, five North Island doctors wrote the province and the B.C. Medical Association saying that there are fewer physicians in Port Hardy and Port McNeill now than a year ago, despite a $30-million plan by the province and Island Health to “stabilize and improve access to reliable health-care services.”
The physicians suggested closing the Port Hardy emergency room 24 hours a day and redirecting resources and staff to Port McNeill Hospital until there are enough physicians to staff both.
