Interior Health announced that the emergency department at the Elkford Health Centre will be closed Monday and Tuesday due to “limited staffing availability”.
The announcement is “unexpected” according to Interior Health, although the Elkford Health Centre’s emergency department was also closed in early December.
More: Elkford Emergency Department Closing Monday (December 9, 2019)
“Interior Health regrets this interruption to our normal emergency department services,” said Interior Health in the announcement, noting that only the emergency department is impacted by the staffing availability. “The Elkford Health Centre is open for scheduled physician and nurse practitioner appointments, public health, lab and x-ray services.”
The public can still access emergency medical services at the Sparwood Health Centre between 8:00 am to 7:00 pm or at the Elk Valley Hospital in Fernie which is operational 24 hours a day. Interior Health said that in the event of an emergency, the public should still call 9-1-1.
Anyone unsure if they should attend the emergency department for a medical issue can call HealthLinkBC at 8-1-1, which is a 24-hour service.
Elkford’s emergency department normally operates between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm Monday to Friday.
It is anticipated that regular access to emergency services will resume as of Wednesday.
