'Will not be the last time': More closures expected at Vancouver Island hospital due to staff shortage

Port McNeill Hospital on northern Vancouver Island is shown.

Officials in Port McNeill, B.C., have been put on alert that a recent closure of the community's emergency department over the weekend won’t be the last.

Island Health sent out an alert on Friday, stating that the Port McNeill Hospital's ER would be closed to patients until Saturday morning, due to a sudden and unexpected nursing shortage.

Port McNeill’s mayor says this has happened about three or four other times since Christmas, and Island Health has told her it will happen again.

"We were told by Island Health that this will not be the last time, but they are doing everything they can to mitigate the issue," said Mayor Gabby Wickstrom.

During the closures, patients are diverted to the hospital in Port Hardy, about 30 minutes away.

The mayor says staff are being moved around between her community and Port Hardy to cover shifts at both hospitals. But if staffing levels decline even further, both hospitals could be at risk of closure, says Wickstrom.

"If we find ourselves in a situation where, say, there was a major outbreak of COVID within the staff, the diversion then would be to Campbell River and that is two hours away," said the mayor.

Wickstrom is asking Island Health to hold an open house and start a dialogue with the community to address concerns, and hopefully discuss possible solutions.

"When there’s unknowns for people, they might be thinking their hospital is closing down permanently," said Wickstrom.

"Where will they go? What kind of healthcare will they have in the region? These are all things that come out," she said.

"But we have to get together and start talking about these issues so we can alleviate them, so that everybody is able to do their part along with Island Health, and also the government as well."

So far, a date has not been set for an open house, but the mayor says she expects one will take place around mid-June.