Chetwynd Hospital's emergency department closed for third weekend in a row

Northern Health says the emergency department at the Chetwynd Hospital is closed due to a lack of nurses. ( Jordan Prentice, Energeticcity.ca )

CHETWYND, B.C. – The emergency department at Chetwynd Hospital had to close for the third weekend in a row due to a staffing shortage.

The department was closed from 5 p.m. on Saturday to 7 a.m. on Sunday and again at 5 p.m. later that day. The closure is expected to last until 7 a.m. Monday, May 6th.

This is the second weekend in a row that the diversion has been due to a lack of nurses. Two weeks ago, there weren’t enough doctors available to run the emergency department.

Patients who need life-threatening care, like those experiencing chest pain or severe bleeding, are advised to call 9-1-1. While the emergency department is closed, patients needing urgent care are taken to the hospital in Dawson Creek, over an hour from Chetwynd.

The South Peace Division of Family Care, a group of healthcare workers in Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge, and Dawson Creek, says it’s working to recruit and hire more doctors and staff for the area.

The organization also plans to turn Dawson Creek’s Eljen Healthcare Clinic into a “primary care hub” for the entire South Peace region, working alongside partners with Northern Health.