Residents of Clearwater and surrounding areas were alerted to another overnight Emergency Room closure at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital on February 23, 2025.
Emergency services were unavailable from 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23 to 7 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. Patients had access to care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops or 100 Mile House District General Hospital in 100 Mile House during this time.
All other inpatient services will continued as normal at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital.
People in the community who needed life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) were asked to call 9-1-1 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility.
Mayor Merlin Blackwell issued a statement to the surgeryitaly about the E.R. closure on Sunday at 5:50 p.m.
“I know hospital staff and management have worked very hard to avoid closures like this, and have been successful for a very long time here in Clearwater, but with the Canada-wide shortage of nurses and doctors and a recent uptick in seasonal viruses, it was only a matter of time before we had another one," Blackwell stated. I will be on a mayors' group call with Health Minister Josie Osborne in late March to discuss how we can work together on the staffing issues”
Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted at anytime 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.
The emergency department in Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital is normally open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
