Tumbler Ridge Health Centre emergency room closed on July 31st

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The Tumbler Ridge Health Centre’s emergency department will be closed for the whole day, reopening on August 1st at 9 a.m. (File)

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The daytime emergency department in Tumbler Ridge is closed for an entire day.

At 6 p.m. on July 30th, Northern Health announced via Facebook that the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre’s daytime emergency department will be ‘on diversion’ for the entirety of July 31st, reopening on August 1st at 9 a.m.

The health authority did not specify a reason for the closure, and stated primary care services would not be affected at the centre.

The emergency department is usually open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Outside these hours, emergency care is provided on an “on-call basis,” according to Northern Health.

Residents in need of life-threatening medical care are encouraged to call 9-1-1 for transportation to the nearest available medical facility.

For non-emergency medical attention, those without a family doctor or nurse practitioner are advised to call the Northern Health Virtual Primary and Community Care Clinic at 1-844-645-7811.

.This is the second closure of the Tumbler Ridge emergency department this month, and the third closure of a Northern Health-operated emergency room following one in Dawson Creek on July 16th.