More British Columbia hospitals were forced to temporarily shutter emergency rooms over the weekend as the province’s healthcare system continues grappling with widespread staffing shortages..On Friday, residents of a Vancouver Island community had no access to their hospital’s emergency department for 12 hours..Due to an “unanticipated nursing shortage,” Island Health advised the community on its website that Port McNeill Hospital’s emergency department was to be closed from 7 p.m. Friday until the same time the following day..The hospital serves more than 2,000 residents of Port McNeill in addition to surrounding communities. Those in need were redirected to Port Hardy, about 30 minutes away..The hospital also closed its emergency department for 12 hours in March..“Despite immediate effort from local leadership to find alternate nursing coverage, nursing coverage has not been secured,” read the release..“Island Health acknowledges this is not an ideal situation for the community and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience experienced by this temporary service reduction.”.Two days later, another BC community’s hospital closed its emergency room for 12 hours..For the fifth time in one month, Interior Health’s Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater shuttered its ER from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Patients were diverted to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, which is more than an hour’s drive away..Helmcken Memorial has been forced to close overnight several times this month, including May 10, 14, 15, and 25, and Royal Inland has been dealing with staffing shortages of its own..In April, public health officials said the province will address its nursing shortage by making it easier for internationally educated nurses (IENs) to get registered and licenced..Speaking at a press conference, Health Minister Adrian Dix said nurses trained abroad will often wait years to get registered and licensed in what he called a complex, costly, and lengthy process..The province will now allocate $12 million to help IENs enter the healthcare system in a more streamlined manner. Bursaries for at least 1,500 nurses to help pay assessment fees will also also be included in the first year, as well as a marketing campaign to promote BC as a “desirable destination” for IENs..Officials have not provided a timeline for when unvaccinated nurses will be permitted to return to work.
