Port Hardy Hospital emergency department closed until Monday morning

Port Hardy Hospital is seen in this photo from the Island Health website. (islandhealth.ca)

The emergency department at Port Hardy Hospital will be closed until 7 a.m. Monday, Island Health announced Saturday afternoon.

The closure began at 7 a.m. Sunday and will continue through the night, despite the facility's nominally always-open schedule.

Island Health did not specify a reason for Sunday's closure, though staffing issues have been blamed for the large number of emergency room closures in Port Hardy and across the province this year.

Just last week, a lack of nurses prompted Port Hardy Hospital's emergency department to close from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily from Monday through Friday.

Those closures followed similar service interruptions over the weekend.

During the closures, other inpatient services at Port Hardy Hospital are continuing as normal, according to Island Health.

"Anyone experiencing a medical emergency should call 911 or, if possible, proceed to Port McNeill Hospital emergency department," the health authority said in a statement.

"Island Health and BC Emergency Health Services have protocols in place to ensure patients who call 911 are transported to the appropriate site."

Island Health said it is also opening the Port Hardy Primary Health Care Centre/A’ekaḵila’as for walk-ins from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, "to support people requiring same-day access to less urgent primary care."

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