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Emergency room closure

The doctor shortage hit hard last week with the closure of the hospital emergency room.

By Jonas Gagnon

Caledonia Courier

The doctor shortage hit hard last week with the closure of the hospital emergency room.

“We, as a council, are extremely disappointed that we are unable to find a solution,” said Mayor Rob MacDougall.

As of last week, with the dearth of doctors in town, Northern Health has scheduled the closure of the emergency room for the entire month of March, except for the weekends of March 17 and 24.

Though council is disheartened by the closing they are continuing to work with Northern Health to try to alleviate the problem.

“We’ll continue to do whatever we can to make sure it doesn’t effect the community too much,” said McDougall.

If additional doctor coverage is found in the interim the emergency room will open back up.

The emergency room is the only department affected by the closure.

Anybody who needs emergency attention can call 9-1-1 and will be transported to the next open emergency department in Vanderhoof and Prince George. However, once discharged it is up to the individual to find their own way home.

Mayor and Council is working closely with Northern Health, and Dr. Stent and his staff to rectify the situation.

“We’re asking the community to be patient as we work towards a solution,” said MacDougall.