File photo. (Image Credit: CFJC Today)
By Aaron Schulze
Nicola Valley Hospital

Merritt emergency department to experience 10th temporary closure in 2026

Aug 31, 2026 | 4:23 AM

MERRITT, B.C. — For the 10th time in 2026, the emergency department in Merritt will be temporarily closed. 

In a news release issued late Sunday (Aug. 30), afternoon, Interior Health says emergency services at Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt will be temporarily unavailable from 7:00 a.m. Monday (Aug. 31) to 8:00 a.m. Tuesday (Sept. 1). 

Patients in need of emergency care are asked to visit Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops during the 25-hour closure. 

Interior Health says all other inpatient services will continue at Nicola Valley Hospital in the meantime. 

Anyone in the Merritt area who is in need of life-threatening emergency care is asked to call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility. Residents can call HealthLink BC at 811, or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information, if they’re unsure if an emergency room visit is warranted. 

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