Temporary closing for Port McNeill ER due to staff shortage
Port McNeill Hospital’s emergency department is heading into another short-term closure due to staffing shortages as discussions are underway on ways to attract more health-care workers to the North Island — including paying for prospective candidates to try local activities.
The department will be closed from 3 p.m. today to 7 a.m. on Sunday, Island Health said. Inpatient services will continue. Anyone with a medical emergency is advised to call 911 and if possible go to Port Hardy Hospital. Island Health said it and B.C. Emergency Health Services have protocols in place to ensure patients are transported to the appropriate site.
Anyone unsure if they are experiencing a medical emergency can call HealthLink B.C. at 811 toll-free at any time for confidential advice from a registered nurse.
“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,” the health authority said.
Port McNeill Mayor Gaby Wickstrom said it’s the third time in recent months the hospital’s emergency department has been shut. It closed temporarily in mid-May due to a nurse shortage and in March after one of its three doctors called in sick.
Wickstrom said the community has also had situations where ambulances take patients to Port Hardy rather than Port McNeill, which has a population of slightly more than 2,000.
“We are, of course, concerned,” Wickstrom said. “But Island Health has been open and honest that we are going to be struggling for summer at least.”
Port McNeill is in the same situation as other B.C. communities, where there’s a shortage of family doctors and other healthcare professionals.
Wickstrom is taking part in a virtual meeting on Monday with officials from Island Health, the Port McNeill Chamber of Commerce and the Mount Waddington Regional District to try to come up with ideas on how to attract and keep health-care professionals.
One idea is to create a regional fund supported by local businesses and communities to attract medical staff who may enjoy activities such as local theatre or whale watching. A healthcare professional could come to a community and tap into a pool of money to try these incentives.
“I think people just need to know what’s available on the North Island and they don’t always,” said Wickstrom, who would like to see nearby communities working together in a regional effort. “We are willing to try anything to attract people because we are all fighting for the same pool of people.”