Emergency room in Merritt’s Nicola Valley Hospital faces 25-hour closure

MERRITT — The emergency room at Merritt’s Nicola Valley Hospital will be closed for 25 hours starting Sunday morning (July 5).

Emergency services will be unavailable from 7 a.m. on Sunday to 8 a.m. on Monday (July 6)

In the meantime, patients needing emergency care can seek treatment at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, which is an hour-long drive away.

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