Health care centre reducing operating hours in Chemainus, B.C.
A Vancouver Island health care centre is reducing its operating hours because of staffing considerations.
Island Health announced Saturday that, effective immediately, the Chemainus Health Care Centre would be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. rather than from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
"This adjustment will ensure physicians and staff can provide access to safe and sustainable care during peak hours," the health authority said in a statement.
Demand during the cut service hours was low, according to Island Health, which said the facility served one patient per day, on average, during its open hours before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
The health authority advised people in need of urgent care before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. to visit the Ladysmith Community Health Care Centre – which is open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. – or the Cowichan District Hospital emergency department, which is open 24 hours a day.
While Island Health did not directly attribute the change in hours to a shortage of staff, it concluded its statement by saying it "continues to recruit to support a sustainable staffing model for the Chemainus Health Care Centre."
The change in hours comes against a backdrop of significant doctor shortages on Vancouver Island and across B.C.
On Thursday, hundreds of doctors and patients rallied at the provincial legislature to demand action from the provincial government to improve access to family doctors.
One in five people in the province do not have a family doctor and those who do typically wait several weeks for the next available appointment.
Urgent and primary care centres around the province are intended to help improve access to primary care for those without family doctors, but Island Health has admitted in the past that staffing the facilities has been a "challenge."
A recent study showed that Victoria had the longest wait times at walk-in clinics in all of Canada, and seven of the top 10 cities for longest wait-times were in B.C.
Premier John Horgan has acknowledged the problems, blaming the situation – in part – on a lack of federal funding and continued migration into B.C. from other provinces.
"The number of British Columbians without access to an in-person family physician is a real problem," the premier said in a statement this week, after meeting with protesting doctors.
"Going forward, the provincial government has committed to working closely with Doctors of B.C. on solutions, including a clear process with firm timelines in order to make tangible progress on this complex problem," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.