FORT ST. JOHN -- There is yet another hospital diversion affecting residents of the Peace Region, this time in Fort St. John.

Northern Health is advising Fort St. John and area residents that Emergency Department services at Fort St. John Hospital will be interrupted (unavailable) between 9:00 am and 8:00 pm on Thursday.

The chronic staffing shortage that the health authority has failed to address over the last 4 years is once again to blame for the closure. This time a lack of available doctors is to blame.

The MLA for Peace River North said he been constantly raising the issue with the Minister of Health.

Dan Davies said, “Again, this sadly goes to show the state of healthcare in British Columbia. Adrian Dix, who seems to think that everything is just fine. Tell that to someone in Fort St. John, who might experience an emergency today. This is completely unacceptable. Adrian Dix needs to resign and let someone into that office to turn health around.”

The Emergency Department is the only service affected by this interruption, and other departments including the Birthing Centre are not impacted at this time.

Northern Health is advising patients in need of life-threatening emergency care (i.e. chest pains, difficulty breathing, or severe bleeding) to call 9-1-1.

Patients will be transported to the nearest available and appropriate facility, which in a number of cases is an hour away in Dawson Creek.