For the second week in a row, Kitimat General Hospital’s emergency department experienced a cut in services, as announced by Northern Health. The reduction, which began at 7 p.m. on July 20 and ended at 8 a.m. the following day, left the hospital without an on-duty physician for 13 hours.
Northern Health explained that this measure was taken to permit the on-call doctor from Kitimat to serve at the Mills Memorial Hospital’s emergency room in Terrace, thereby averting its potential closure. The move was deemed essential to ensure the continued provision of regional emergency coverage at Mills Memorial Hospital.
On the evening of July 20, the public was urged to avoid visiting the emergency room at Kitimat General Hospital. Instead, Northern Health recommended that individuals in Kitimat and nearby areas needing urgent medical care, including those suffering from chest pain, breathing difficulties, or severe bleeding, should dial 9-1-1 for transportation to the closest appropriate healthcare facility.
All pertinent partners in patient transfer and local health services had been informed of this temporary service interruption, as assured by Northern Health. Furthermore, signage at the hospital directed patients to call 9-1-1 for transport, if necessary.
As a cautionary measure, Northern Health advised individuals with non-emergency health issues against visiting the Kitimat ER. Instead, those patients could contact a family doctor or nurse practitioner via the NH Virtual Clinic, available daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 1-844-645-7811 or online.
Moreover, residents of northern B.C. were reminded that they could now schedule appointments with pharmacists for 21 minor ailments and prescription contraceptives.
Notably, the shift of emergency services from Kitimat General to Mills Memorial Hospital was not unprecedented, having previously occurred on July 13. Mills Memorial Hospital itself had experienced a night without a designated ER doctor on July 10, underlining the ongoing regional challenges with healthcare resource allocation.