Interior Health issued yet another service interruption notice for Cariboo Memorial Hospital on July 25, over an hour after the closure took effect.
In a notice sent out 24 minutes past midnight on July 25, the public was notified of the closure which it said took effect at 11 p.m. on July 24. The emergency room reopened at 6 a.m. on July 25.
"Unfortunately, staffing shortages can happen with little or no warning, especially during wildfire season if our staff and physicians are personally affected. In these cases – like on the evening of Wednesday, July 25 – we don’t always have the opportunity to provide advance notification of a service interruption," said Karen Cooper, executive director, clinical operations, Cariboo/South Cariboo, for Interior Health (IH).
Cooper said IH understands having more notice would be helpful, and they provide public notification as far ahead as possible.
Patients were being redirected to 100 Mile District General Hospital in 100 Mile House, GR Baker Memorial Hospital in Quesnel or Bella Coola General Hospital until the emergency room reopened.
This closure took place while wildfire crews are working on fires through the night in the region, and the communities of both Quesnel and 100 Mile House area are dealing with evacuation orders and alerts nearby.
Interior Health advised people who need life-threatening emergency care to call 9-1-1 for transport to the nearest appropriate facility.
The notice said anyone unsure whether an emergency department visit is warranted can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 or visit healthlinkbc.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
A search for health care services available in the Williams Lake area on healthlinkbc.ca results in "No Results Found."
The Williams Lake area currently has a shortage of primary care physicians as well, leading many people in the area to rely on the emergency room for basic medical care of any kind.
