Long-term overnight closures are planned for Port Hardy Hospital’s emergency department.
Starting tonight, it’ll be closed from 5 pm to 7 am, and keep those hours until the morning of January 9th. All other inpatient services will continue as normal in the hospital and long-term care home.
The closures are due to a continuing lack of staffing availability. It’s an issue that has plagued the North Island hospital system for quite some time.
The closure at Port Hardy Hospital allows for the reassignment of staff to Port McNeill Hospital. Port McNeill Hospital will stay open 24 hours a day during that period of time unless otherwise announced.
Anyone experiencing an emergency during the closure should call 911 or head to Port McNeill Hospital if possible.
In a statement, Island Health says, “[We] acknowledge this is not an ideal situation for the community and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience experienced by this temporary service interruption.”
