Chetwynd Hospital faces emergency department diversions for four days straight

CHETWYND, B.C. — Chetwynd Hospital’s emergency department has been closed every evening since Saturday and will close again on Tuesday, says Northern Health.

The health authority announced on Facebook that the department will be closed between 5:00 p.m. May 7th and 7:00 a.m. May 8th due to “challenges with nursing staff coverage.”

This announcement comes after the department has been diverted and closed for the last three weekends, and closed every evening since Saturday, May 4th.

The first of those diversions, during the weekend of April 20th, was caused by a lack of available doctors — every diversion since has been caused by nursing availability.

In an interview about the diversions Tuesday, Peace River South MLA Mike Bernier called the frequent diversions “horrifying” for residents and said he personally spoke with Health Minister Adrian Dix to make him aware of the problem.

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.