Clearwater ER will be closed yet again this weekend

The emergency department at Clearwater's hospital is closing again this weekend due to staffing issues.

Interior Health announced today, June 10, in a media release that the emergency department at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital will be closed from 5 p.m. Sunday, June 12, until 7 a.m., Monday, June 13, due to limited staffing available.

Over the past few months, the emergency room Clearwater's hospital has experienced closures 11 times.

In the event of an emergency, the health authority is asking residents to call 9-1-1 or visit the emergency department at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. It advises residents to call 8-1-1 if they're unsure about their need for emergency care.

READ MORE: Yet another temporary emergency room closure in Clearwater

Clearwater’s emergency department is normally open 24 hours a day but in recent months has experienced multiple closures due to staffing challenges across the Interior Health region.

Over the next two weeks, there are thousands of shifts that are posted but not claimed at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

Call-outs were made for 18,747 shifts for all occupations between May 26 and June 25. As of June 8, 9,820 were filled and 8,927 had yet to be filled, according to an emailed statement from Interior Health.

READ MORE: Thousands of upcoming shifts unclaimed at Kamloops hospital

Royal Inland Hospital has faced staffing shortages for quite some time. Last month, the B.C. Liberals highlighted the problem by providing documentation that said some departments were running with less than 50% of the required staff on the Victoria Day long weekend last month.

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