Vancouver Island ER shuts down again temporarily due to staffing shortage

Island Health officials say the Port McNeill Hospital emergency room will be closed from 7 a.m. on Friday, March 4 until noon on Monday, March 7. (Google Maps)

The emergency room at Port McNeill Hospital is once again closing its doors due to a staffing shortage, according to Island Health.

The ER at the North Island hospital will be closed from 7 a.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Monday.

Island Health adds that during this time, no new patients will be admitted to the hospital.

Anyone in need of emergency care should call 911 or head to Port Hardy Hospital, says the health authority.

"Island Health acknowledges this is not an ideal situation for the community and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience experienced by this temporary service reduction," said the health authority in a statement Thursday.

Anyone experiencing a medical event who's unsure if it requires emergency care can call HealthLink B.C. at 811 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day, according to Island Health.

HEALTHCARE CRISIS

This isn't the first time that Port McNeill Hospital has had to temporarily close its emergency room.

In March, the hospital closed its ER for a weekend due to an "unanticipated temporary physician shortage."

On Thursday, the health authority said it was still dealing with a shortage of health-care staff and that it was actively trying to fill nurse vacancies in the region.

"The staffing challenges experienced on the North Island are not unique to that region, or even Island Health," said the health authority.

"The effects of this national issue are amplified in rural and smaller programs and sites where baseline staffing numbers are lower."

Many B.C. residents and health-care workers have described the system as being in crisis in recent years, with even the premier telling CTV News he felt the situation was "dire."

Nurses recently rallied at the steps of the B.C. legislature on Tuesday to call attention to crushing workloads and mental health burnout.

Meanwhile, Victoria has the longest wait times to access walk-in clinics in the country, while B.C. has the longest average wait times out of all the provinces in Canada, according to online clinic tracker Medimap.