Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
National

Lack of staff forces Saanich hospital to close ER overnight for two months

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 07 Jul, 2023 09:46 AM
  • Lack of staff forces Saanich hospital to close ER overnight for two months

Island Health says a lack of staff has forced it to begin overnight closures of the emergency room at a small Victoria-area hospital.

A statement from the health authority says closure of the Saanich Peninsula Hospital emergency department begins at 10 p.m. tonight and will end at 7 a.m. Saturday.

The statement says the closures will continue every night until Sept. 4 at the 85-bed hospital just south of Sidney.

The health authority says the closures will ensure doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and medical imaging staff are available during the day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. when demand for emergency services peaks.

Estimates from Island Health show an average of 11 people visit the Saanich Peninsula emergency room overnight and two people arrive by ambulance.

During the overnight closures, ambulances will be diverted to Royal Jubilee Hospital or Victoria General Hospital, both about 20 kilometres south, in Victoria.

Marko Peljhan, Island Health vice-president of clinical services for central and southern Vancouver Island says no other in-patient services at the hospital will be affected.

“We acknowledge this is not an ideal situation for the community and we sincerely apologize for this temporary service reduction,” Peljhan says in the statement.

Staffing shortages are linked to recent temporary closures of many smaller or rural emergency rooms or health clinics, from Port Hardy and Port McNeill on northern Vancouver Island to Clearwater in the southern Interior, Chetwynd and Mackenzie in the north and New Denver and Creston in the southeast.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Surrey RCMP need the public's help in locating missing female Navjot Baring

Surrey RCMP need the public's help in locating missing female Navjot Baring
UPDATE: The Surrey RCMP is pleased to confirm that the 22-year-old female who was reported missing on June 27, 2023 has been located.  

Surrey RCMP need the public's help in locating missing female Navjot Baring

B.C. agrees to delay ending immigration detention in correctional centres

B.C. agrees to delay ending immigration detention in correctional centres
Farnworth has now approved a "one-time" three-month extension of the deal until the end of October at the request of federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, on the condition that no new detainees will be accepted after July 31. 

B.C. agrees to delay ending immigration detention in correctional centres

Armed robbery in New Westminster

Armed robbery in New Westminster
Police flooded the area and soon located someone matching the suspect description at 6th Avenue and 8th Street. The suspect fled from police and after a foot pursuit, he was arrested. An officer was transported to local hospital after sustaining an injury during the foot pursuit.

Armed robbery in New Westminster

Canada bans testing of cosmetics on animals, in line with dozens of other countries

Canada bans testing of cosmetics on animals, in line with dozens of other countries
In addition to barring companies from testing their cosmetic products on animals in Canada, the regulations prevent new products that rely on animal testing data to establish product safety from being sold in this country.

Canada bans testing of cosmetics on animals, in line with dozens of other countries

Charges laid against 3 in robbery

Charges laid against 3 in robbery
On December 23rd of last year,  Surrey RCMP received a report of a personal robbery on a post-secondary school campus located in the 13400-block of 102 Avenue. Prior to police arrival it was reported that three suspects had fled with the victim’s phone and backpack.

Charges laid against 3 in robbery

Rodriguez says newsrooms will be supported should Meta, Google block news

Rodriguez says newsrooms will be supported should Meta, Google block news
The Liberal government's Online News Act became law last week, requiring tech companies such as Google and Meta to negotiate deals compensating media outlets for news content they share or otherwise repurpose on their platforms.

Rodriguez says newsrooms will be supported should Meta, Google block news