Delta Hospital's emergency room was closed on two consecutive nights over the weekend, leaving would-be patients scrambling to find alternatives.
Fraser Health Authority said the move came amid a shortage of doctors.
"Due to physician staffing shortages at Delta Hospital, Fraser Health is implementing a temporary service interruption," the health authority wrote in a post on X on Saturday evening, warning that it would last from 9:30 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. the following morning.
Delta has a population of 113,000.
Less than 24 hours later, another warning was issued informing people that the ER would be closed again from 9:30 p.m. Sunday until 6:30 a.m. Monday.
In both cases, Fraser Health noted that while there would be no doctors, "emergency-trained nurses will continue to be on site and available to support walk-in patients needing basic first aid, assist with re-direction of care, and/or transfer patients with urgent needs to a neighbouring hospital."
They added that they were "working closely" with BC Emergency Health Services to ensure those who need further care are transported to the nearest operational hospital, and urged anyone with a life-threatening condition to call 911.
Among those who shared their frustration was Delta South MLA Ian Paton.
"I am extremely shocked & disappointed to see that our Delta Hospital's emergency department will have no doctors available after 9:30 tonight until 7 a.m. tomorrow," he wrote in a post on X. "This NDP government has been boasting about how many doctors they've hired. They have promised to fix this problem for almost 8 years. Totally unacceptable."
Past comments made about Delta Hospital by the BC NDP were brought to light, including those from 2015 in which MLA Sue Hammell noted that Fraser Health was critically underfunded.
Emergency room closures were a major issue in the months preceding and during the 2024 election, and the BC NDP vowed to ensure more was done to prevent such incidents from taking place in the future.
