FORT ST. JOHN -- The Emergency Department at the Fort St. John Hospital has reopened following an overnight diversion that saw services unavailable due to ‘staffing challenges.’
Northern Health advising residents of the closure in a social media post Tuesday.
The ER was unavailable between 6:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 25.
“People in Fort St. John and area who need life-threatening emergency care should call 9-1-1 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility,” said Northern Health in a statement.
The Birthing Centre, surgery suites, and ambulatory clinics remained open during the diversion.
MLA Dan Davies reacting to the closure in a Facebook post, calling on the NDP to do better while offering thanks to healthcare workers ahead of the October 19 election.
“This again demonstrates the failure of the government to deliver healthcare to residents. I will continue to advocate for more doctors and nurses, looking at foreign trained healthcare professionals and opening more spaces for residencies and spots in universities,” said Davies.
“This should never happen,” added Conservative MLA candidate Jordan Kealy.
The interruption marks the second time this month the emergency department was forced to close due to staff shortages, with a September 4 diversion being blamed on ‘challenges with physician coverage.’
