Image: Nicola Valley Hospital / Merritt area residents seeking an emergency room on Sept. 22 were instructed to travel to Kamloops after Interior Health report the Nicola Valley Hospital emergency department would experience a 25-hour closure.

By Don Mitchell

Emergency closing

Nicola Valley in Merritt one of several B.C. ERs temporarily closed due to ‘limited physician availability’

Sep 22, 2024 | 3:25 PM

MERRITT – Merritt, and area residents seeking to visit their local emergency room (ER) on Sunday, were out of luck and redirected to Kamloops due to a staffing issue.

Interior Health, which runs about two-dozen outlets across B.C., temporarily closed down the Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Centre, stating in a release Sunday morning it had ‘limited physician availability.

The hospital shuttered the ER at 7 a.m. and said it would reopen Monday at 8 a.m., 25 hours later.

Other inpatient services at the Voght Street location operated normally despite the closure.

Patients were told to access care at the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops if needed.

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This marks the 13th emergency room closure for the Nicola Valley this calendar year, the first since the Labour Day weekend.

In 2023, the Nicola Valley Hospital reported 19 ER closures. It was one of five temporary closures Interior Health announced through social media on the weekend, which included ER shut downs at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, the Lillooet Hospital, 100 Mile District General Hospital and Slocan Community Health Centre in New Denver.

In four of the five cases, Interior Health acknowledged that the ERs are typically open 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

The network urged those unsure whether an emergency room visit is needed to reach out to HealthLink BC for guidance at 8-1-1 or www.HealthLinkBC.ca