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South Okanagan emergency department closes overnight due to doctor shortage

Oliver’s mayor calls the recent slew of closures ‘unacceptable’
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Doctor shortages have once again closed Oliver hospital’s emergency department.

Emergency services at the South Okanagan General Hospital will be unavailable from 6 p.m. Saturday, September 23 to 8 a.m. Sunday, September 24, Interior Health said.

Patients can access care at Penticton Regional Hospital.

IH’s announcement marks the fifth time this month the hospital’s emergency department has been forced to close, including twice on Labour Day weekend alone.

All other services will continue as normal at the Oliver-based hospital.

The town’s mayor, Martin Johansen, recently called the slew of closures “unacceptable” and later predicted they would continue into October with the situation showing no signs of changing.

IH says that people in the community who need life-threatening emergency care should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.

READ MORE: South Okanagan emergency department closes 4 days in a row

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Logan Lockhart

About the Author: Logan Lockhart

I joined Black Press Media in 2021 after graduating from a pair of Toronto post-secondary institutions and working as a sports reporter for several different outlets.
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