Second Interior Health ER shuts its doors today

Residents in and around Oliver will be without an emergency department for a chunk of the day.

The ER at South Okanagan General Hospital closed its doors at noon and will not reopen until 7 pm tonight.

While the emergency department is closed in Oliver, patients can access emergency care at Penticton Regional Hospital.

During the closure in Oliver, all other inpatient services will continue as normal.

The South Okanagan is not the only region to experience an ER closure this weekend.

The emergency department at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake experienced temporary closures on Saturday and today.

“People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (ie, chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility,” wrote Interior Health.

“Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.”