The emergency department at Mission Memorial Hospital is closing at 5 p.m. Monday due to “staffing challenges,” according to the health authority. Fraser Health said the doors will reopen Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. “During the service interruption, emergency-trained nurses will continue to be on site and available to support walk-in patients needing basic care, assist with re-direction of care, and/or transfer patients with urgent needs to a neighbouring hospital,” a bulletin from the health authority said. The 5 p.m. closure is meant to ensure that patients on site will be able to see a doctor before doctors go off shift at 11 p.m. “Fraser Health is working closely with B.C. Emergency Health Services to ensure patients requiring a higher level of care are directed or transferred to an appropriate hospital emergency service,” the bulletin continued. Those who require immediate medical care are advised to call 911. While other emergency departments in the Frasr Health region remain open, people with non-urgent issues are being warned to expect long wait times due the combination of high patient volumes and staff shortages. The emergency department has been closed a number of times this year, but Fraser health said work is ongoing to recruit more physicians to the facility.
