Residents in Oliver and the surrounding area are once again dealing with reduced hours at the emergency department in South Okanagan General Hospital due to a shortage of available physicians.
Interior Health has announced that there will be no emergency services available from 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 24, until 7 a.m. on Monday, March 25. Patients will need to seek care at Penticton Regional Hospital during this period.
All other services for inpatients will continue as usual at South Okanagan General Hospital.
Community members requiring emergency care for life-threatening conditions should dial 911 for transportation to the nearest available and suitable medical facility.
Due to a lack of covering physicians, the emergency department had to be closed multiple times last year.
Oliver’s mayor, Martin Johansen, expressed frustration about the recurring closures to Global News in December, stating,“It’s frustrating to continue to hear about these closures and get these closures.”
Oliver's mayor, Martin Johansen, told Global News in December, “I think we’ve had almost five in the last week (when Oliver made the comment), and the weekend was significant with a 24-hour closure and a 12-hour closure, as well.”
