Residents in Fort Nelson are facing a temporary interruption in emergency room services Thursday.
Once again, staffing challenges have forced the closure of the Emergency Department at Fort Nelson General Hospital.
According to Northern Health, emergency department services will be unavailable from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday.
People requiring life-threatening emergency care, including those experiencing chest pain, difficulty breathing or severe bleeding, are being advised to call 9-1-1 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.
Northern Health says local patient transfer partners and health services have been notified, and signage will be posted at the hospital during the service interruption.
For non-urgent medical concerns, residents without a primary care provider can access care through Northern Health’s Virtual Primary and Community Care Clinic. Indigenous patients and their family members can also use the First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day program.
Northern Health noted that emergency department availability can change with little notice and encouraged residents to check its emergency department status webpage for the latest information.
The closure is the latest in a series of temporary service disruptions affecting rural emergency departments across Northern B.C., where health authorities continue to face recruitment and staffing pressures.