TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C - Residents of Tumbler Ridge will face limited access to emergency medical care this weekend as Northern Health suspends Emergency Department services at the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre, during daytime hours on both Saturday and Sunday because of staffing challenges.
According to Northern Health, the Emergency Department will be unavailable from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27.
The health authority says emergency department status can change abruptly and encourages residents to monitor its online Emergency Department Status page for the latest information.
People experiencing life-threatening medical emergencies, including 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 partners involved in patient transfers and local health services have been notified, and signage will be posted at the hospital directing patients to call 9-1-1 when services are unavailable.
For non-urgent health concerns, residents are encouraged to contact their family physician or nurse practitioner.
Patients without a primary care provider can access the Northern Health Virtual Primary and Community Care Clinic, while Indigenous patients and their family members can also use the First Nations Virtual Doctor of the Day program.
Health advice is also available through HealthLink BC by calling 8-1-1.
The latest closure comes amid ongoing concerns about health-care service reductions in the community and follows a series of emergency department interruptions in Tumbler Ridge and other Northern B.C. communities caused by staffing shortages.
The service disruption will coincide with a rally planned by local residents on Saturday.
Organizers say the gathering is intended to protest repeated cuts and interruptions to emergency department services at the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre and to call for more stable access to emergency health care in the community.