West Coast General Hospital is pausing certain patient admissions. (Susie Quinn/Alberni Valley News)
West Coast General Hospital (WCGH) in Port Alberni is pausing some patient admissions due to staffing shortages.
The emergency department will remain open and teams at WCGH will stabilize and transfer patients to other hospitals when needed.
Those affected will be people who do not have a family doctor working in the hospital, require admission and do not require specialist care.
In a news release from Island Health, they say this could require two to three patients to be transferred daily.
People who have physicians working at WCGH -- referred to as "hospitalists" -- can continue to be admitted.
Surgical, psychiatric as well as labour and delivery care will continue to be provided as usual.
"We know this is an extremely difficult thing for people in the Alberni Valley and West Coast to hear. Island Health fully acknowledges that the current situation at WCGH is unacceptable and the urgent actions underway must continue and be intensified to give the people of this region access to the care they deserve," said Dawn Thomas, Aa ap waa iik, Island Health Vice President responsible for WCGH and Indigenous Health.
"I have heard directly from community and First Nations leaders, as well as from my family and friends living in the region, that the current situation is not meeting the needs of the people we serve. It's my commitment that we will work tirelessly to restore services at WCGH."
Island Health is working with BCEHS and the Patient Transfer Network to ensure there are resources to accommodate safe and timely transfers. Island Health also acknowledged this will increase pressure on other hospitals around the Island.
"The reality is that we do not have enough physicians providing inpatient care at WCGH to ensure a consistent, safe environment for all patients who require admission," said Ben Williams, Island Health Vice President of Medicine and WCGH locum physician.
"This is a very difficult situation, and I know from my experience working at WCGH over the last 13 years how much the community relies on this hospital. But we have an obligation to make sure patients are receiving safe care when they come to one of our hospitals. It is the most important consideration in the work we do."
Island Health says they are negotiating in good faith to try to increase staffing levels and are exploring options to sustain service at WCGH.
People who are in an emergency medical situation should still call 911 when needed. No timeline was given on when admissions to the hospital may open again.