The emergency department in Tumbler Ridge is on diversion. Northern Health said the Health Centre’s daytime emergency department has been interrupted Thursday at 8:00am due to staffing challenges.
The ER is expected to remain closed until 8pm. The health authority said services are expected to return to normal for their regular hours on Friday.
After hours emergency care in Tumbler Ridge is provided on an on-call basis. Tumbler Ridge and area residents who require emergency care during regular hours, after hours, or on weekends, should always call 9-1-1 for transport to the nearest available care facility.
Residents of Tumbler Ridge have protested planned cuts to the health centre. After a number of meetings, the health authority is re-thinking those cuts and had asked for public input.