Interior Health closes ER in Ashcroft again, this time for entire weekend

The emergency department in Ashcroft is closed all weekend.

Interior Health blames the closure of the ER at the Ashcroft Hospital and Community Health Care Centre on limited physician availability, according to a media release.

The emergency room in Ashcroft normally open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and 8 a.m to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

READ MORE: Kamloops ER had less than 50% staffing on long weekend: B.C. Liberals

But this weekend the nearest emergency services for patients in Ashcroft will be at the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

Ashcroft's ER was been closed earlier in 2022.

Emergency department closures have become very frequent in Clearwater. It's not a new trend – the health authority has been struggling with staffing issues for years.

READ MORE: How Interior Health is planning to tackle RIH understaffing issues

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