CHETWYND -- For the third weekend in a row Northern Health has announced a hospital diversion in Chetwynd.

Once again the emergency room at the Chetwynd Hospital was closed due to chronic staffing shortages.

The emergency room was closed on Saturday at 5pm. The closure is expected to last until Monday morning at 7 o’clock.

Northern Health said once again the closure was due to a shortage of nurses. Two weeks ago a shortage of physicians was to blame.

Three years ago, CJDC TV News asked BC's Health MInister about an indpedendent audit of Northern Health. At the time the health autthority was suffering chronic staffing issues as well as low morale and reports of bullying at the Fort St. John Hospital.

Adrian Dix said at the time he was not averse to a review but would like to see short term recruitment and retention programs started, Dix said those programs would be better than an idependent audit.

Three years later, Dix was asked about the three straight hospital diversions in Chetwynd due to continued staffing shortages and if he would still ask for an independent review. 

"I'm not happy whenever an emergency room goes down, we're committed to it. Northern Health Authority is committed to it. We're focused every day on this question because that's when we've got to be open. But we've also got to do make long term changes to make sure that we have the nurses necessary," said Adrian DIx

The MLA for Peace River South said this is on-going failure by the NDP Government and its unacceptable.

Mike Bernier said, 'The Ministry of Health has no problem telling people what they want to hear but have utterly failed  in delivering any results to improve Health care in the South Peace.  We have called for an audit, and accountability, but the NDP keep kicking that request down the road rather than trying to fix our health care problems."

The Health Authority has been telling residents of Chetwynd that if they need life threatening emergency care to call 9-11, and that they will be transported to the nearest hospital. That is over an hour away in Dawson Creek.

Last week a Chetwynd man called 9-11 during a hospital diversion and was taken to Dawson Creek. He was given a bill for $89.