Emergency department services are available once again at the Kitimat General Hospital, following a day and a half of interruptions to open the week.
Northern Health says the interruptions, which also hit the hospital for two days last week, are due to a shortage in physician coverage.
They also say they are taking every effort to avoid the closures and provide advanced notice for patients when they can’t.
But, despite their efforts, the issues seem to be getting worse, with countless ER closures plaguing the North and Interior over the past two years.
It’s an issue which Stikine MLA Ellis Ross brought before legislature earlier this month, citing the growing number of closures in the Northwest.
Ross pointed to seven years of NDP promises to fix the staffing challenges in health care, during which time the situation has worsened.
In response, Health Minister Adrian Dix pointed to on-going recruitment and training efforts, and legislation to remove barriers for foreign-trained workers.
Through August of this year, Northern Health alone saw closures at more than 90 emergency rooms, after recording closures at just 3 last year.
