Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater/via Interior Health
Emergency medical services for are now available in the North Thompson corridor after being unavailable through much of this long weekend.
Interior Health shut down the ER at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater at 7am on Saturday.
The ER reopened at 8am Monday.
Its closure meant that anyone in need of unexpected medical care either had to call 9-1-1 and ask for an ambulance or make an over hour-long drive either west or south.
“Patients can access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or 100 Mile House District General Hospital in 100 Mile House during this time,” stated the Authority at the time.
Maps displaying the approximate additional travel time people would have required this weekend in the North Thompson due to the shutdown of the Clearwater emergency room/via Google Maps
Sunday saw Interior Health then announce shutdown of the 100 Mile House ER for during the evening hours — 6pm to midnight on Sunday — followed by a 12-hour closure on Monday from 8am to 8pm.
The shutdown of the Dr. Helmcken Memorial emergency room was not anticipated, with Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell telling Radio NL at word of the closure that he was not given any advanced notice of the shutdown.
It’s not clear what led to the extended closure, though staffing is almost always the underlying reason.
As per internal policy changes as of the end of October of last year, Interior Health is no longer providing reasons for why emergency rooms are being shut down.
Interior Health says that policy decision was made in consultation with staff, contending the move was made for employee safety.
