The Lakes District Hospital and Health Centre has experienced emergency department service interruptions once again.
Eryn Collins, Northern Health regional director of public affairs and media relations, said that there were two emergency department service interruptions which were the result of a shortage of nursing staff.
“The most recent was overnight on March 24-25. The hospital’s emergency department remained open on March 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and there is no record of a gap in physician coverage at that time,” she said.
“As we’ve shared previously, every effort continues to be made to prevent service interruptions due to staffing challenges, and we have been successful in this regard in Burns Lake in recent months. We continue to work to fill shift vacancies to prevent or limit the duration of potential service interruptions; emergency departments are only ever on diversion as a last resort, when no other options are available,” she said.
A Burns Lake resident showed up late on March 24 and was having difficulty breathing and was told to call 911 but after her persisting to be seen, a nurse did end up letting her into emergency and took her vitals but then was sent home and told to come back in the morning.
At all times, Collins said that Northern Health encourages people in the community who need life-threatening emergency care i.e. chest pains, difficulty breathing, or severe bleeding to call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.
Any time services were interrupted, Collins stated that their partners in patient transfer and local health services were notified, and signage was placed at the hospital to inform patients to call 911 for transport.
Recently, Northern Health posted that, “Patients who aren’t sure whether their condition would warrant an emergency room visit, or who need health advice can call HealthLink BC - 811 for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists 24/7. For deaf and hearing-impaired assistance, call 711.”
It was posted on Northern Health’s Facebook page.
“We also encourage people to take advantage of options for non-urgent care, such as the Northern Health Virtual Primary and Community Care Clinic, or the ability to book an appointment to see a pharmacist for 21 minor ailments and prescription contraceptives,” she said.
The Northern Health Virtual Primary and Community Care Clinic can be reached by calling +18446457811 and the hours of operations starts from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.