File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

MERRITT ER CLOSED

Details needed on government plan to address ER closures: Merritt mayor

Feb 12, 2024 | 5:30 PM

MERRITT B.C. — After closing 19 times in 2023, the emergency department at the Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt has been shuttered for the second straight weekday.

After being shutdown on Friday (Feb. 9) due to limited physician availability, Interior Health announced Monday (Feb. 12) morning it would be closed for another 24 hours. Interior Health says the closure of Merritt’s ER from 8:00 Monday morning until 8:00 Tuesday morning. All other inpatient services at Nicola Valley Hospital will continue as normal.

In response to the second closure this year, Merritt’s mayor, Mike Goetz, is calling on the provincial government and Interior Health to show how a $7.5-million investment into struggling emergency rooms has improved service.

“To elaborate more, let us know what that looks like. Let us know what the funding amount we have for Merritt is. I don’t even know that part,” said Goetz. “Just so we can get some idea of what this plan looks like moving forward, and if there is a plan that actually has some legs so we can make sure our hospital stays open and we can get the doctors that this fund is suppose to help with.”

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Citing 19 ER closures throughout 2023, Goetz also says he plans to bring a motion to the next Thompson Regional Hospital Board meeting, asking for a credit for the 19 days of emergency department services the city paid for but did not receive, totalling approximately $34,000.

Patients in Merritt and area can access emergency care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops during the closure.