South Okanagan General Hospital emergency room closing all day Wednesday

Photo: File photo

Interior Health announced that the South Okanagan General Hospital's emergency room will once again be closed on a temporary basis due to ongoing staffing problems.

Emergency services will be unavailable from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29. The ER was also closed from the same time period Tuesday.

Patients can access care at Penticton Regional Hospital during this time.

All other inpatient services will continue as normal at South Okanagan General Hospital.

The emergency department in Oliver is normally open 24/7, but has been plagued by intermittent closures for months as the location struggles to maintain staffing levels

People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.

Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

The emergency department in Oliver is normally open 24/7.