Temporary overnight closures at Cormorant Island Community Health Centre’s (CICHC) emergency department will continue until the end of August.
Island Health says the closures are necessary because of limited staff availability. They say they do not have enough nursing staff in the region to maintain safe, consistent 24/7 services in the emergency department.
The closure is in effect from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m., according to the health authority. They add they have protocols in place to ensure patients are transported to an appropriate alternate site.
Anyone having a medical emergency while the department is closed should call 911 and not go the emergency department, according to Island Health. They say this will slow down access to care.
If you are unsure, they say to call HealthLink BC at 811 to speak with a registered nurse. The department will continue to be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Island Health says they are working on recruitment strategies to secure additional nursing coverage.
They add the situation is not ideal and they apologize for any inconvenience.
