The emergency department at the Ashcroft Hospital and Community Health Care Centre is once again closed for the weekend, with Interior Health noting it will not be open from Friday (Sept. 2) through Sunday during this Labour Day long weekend.
In addition, the emergency department at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater will be closed on Saturday from 6 p.m. until 7 a.m. the following morning, with 24-hour ED service expected to resume will resume on Sunday.
As with previous closures in Ashcroft, Clearwater and other rural communities in the Kamloops region, Interior Health is citing as a reason limited staff, in this case a shortage of nurses.
There is no emergency department service during the week or overnight on weekends in Ashcroft. Regular emergency department hours — when staff are available — are normally Fridays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
