CHETWYND, BC -- Northern Health is once again warning locals about potential diversions at Chetwynd Hospital.

The health authority has issued a notice saying there may be intermittent service disruptions over the next week due to limited staff. The hospital may need to go on diversion if nursing coverage cannot be maintained.

Anyone who needs emergency care should call 9-1-1; if the hospital is on diversion, the patient will be transported to the nearest available facility.

This is the fourth time in the past two months that Northern Health has warned of potential diversions at the Chetwynd Hospital.

MLA Mike Bernier calls these disruptions “frustrating,” and feels like northern BC is being forgotten by the provincial government.

“I know that if this was somebody in Abbotsford being told they had to drive to Vancouver because the Abbotsford hospital was shut down, I think the province would be looking at it a little differently,” said Bernier. “So, once again, I feel like we’re being left out.

Bernier adds that he would support an audit into Northern Health to look at staff recruitment and retention practices.