A remote B.C. island community is anxious as it faces a two-week overnight closure of its local emergency room due to the ongoing medical staffing crisis across the province.
Island Health announced the closure of Alert Bay ER in the Cormorant Island Community Health Centre from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. nightly, which started Tuesday and will last until Aug. 16.
Ferries to and from Vancouver Island don’t run at night, so residents with medical emergencies will have to be flown out by helicopter or possibly transported by water taxi, Buchanan said. There is not enough nursing staff in the region to maintain safe, consistent 24/7 emergency services in the Alert Bay facility, Island Health said.The health authority and BC Emergency Health Services have protocols in place so patients are transported to an appropriate alternate site, Island Health said, adding minimum staffing levels are necessary to ensure patient safety.
In August, there are also reduced hours at the Chemainus Health Care Centre and six full days of closures at the south Vancouver Island facility on Aug. 3, 10, 15, 20, 27 and 28. “If somebody had a stroke, you’re going to make sure they get certain medications. You need to treat certain conditions in a very timely way.”“I imagine this was not a decision that was made lightly, but it’s not clear what changes in two weeks.”
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