The emergency room in Fort St. James’ hospital was closed for 24 hours this weekend.
From 8:00am Saturday (August 5th) to 8:00am Sunday, Fort St. James was without an emergency room due to “an unavoidable gap in physician coverage.”
Eryn Collins, a Northern Health spokesperson, said they are “doing everything they possibly can to avoid those service interruptions,” adding a shutdown is an absolute last resort when there are no staff to cover.
However, Collins also said, “There is the potential for intermittent service interruptions in a number of communities.”
When these shutdowns occur, people in need of life-saving care are told to phone 9-1-1 so they can be transported to the nearest appropriate hospital.
Northern Health recommends people, especially in small communities like Fort St. James, do this always, because there is a decent chance someone in serious need will have to be transferred to a larger hospital to receive appropriate care.
Collins said Northern Health runs a virtual clinic from 10:00-10:00 every day for people who are not in need of urgent care.
“The staff that we do have working in our facilities across the region really do deserve our appreciation, patience, and understanding. They are working in high-stress environments at the best of times,” she said, in closing.
In July, Vanderhoof’s St. John Hospital also experienced a staffing shortage-related service interruption.