By Adam Berls

healthcare

Mackenzie is the latest community to be hit emergency department diversions

Jul 2, 2024 | 2:45 PM

MACKENZIE — Emergency rooms going on diversion due to staffing challenges is unfortunately nothing new for rural and Northern communities. Mackenzie is the latest community to be hit with emergency room closures after their emergency department went on diversion, first from the evening of June 21 to the morning of June 24, leaving the community without emergency services for an entire weekend.

Then, this past weekend, emergency department services were suspended on Sunday, June 30. Something that remains a concern to opposition health critic Shirley Bond.

“The fact that when an emergency room in a small community closes, there isn’t another one just on the next block or around the corner. It often means traveling for hours to get emergency medical care. It’s a significant issue, not just in Mackenzie, but in communities right across British Columbia.” – Shirley Bond, Opposition Health Critic

In the case of Mackenzie, when the emergency department is on diversion, the nearest emergency department would be either Prince George or Chetwynd, both 2 hour plus drives and Chetwynd has been dealing with diversions in recent weeks as well.

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With the diversions in Mackenzie taking place due to nursing and physician coverage challenges, Shirley Bond says that “intentional and targeted action” is needed. Bond says that the province needs to “look at credentialing, look at adding new spaces at institutions across the province.” Bond said that “what’s most important is we need to retain the health care workers we have.”

If another diversion takes place, Northern Health recommends that people in the Mackenzie area, who need life-threatening emergency care, should call 911 immediately for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.

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X: @AdamBerls

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com