Lillooet residents told to drive 2 hours for emergency services amid 48-hour ER closure

Emergency room closures continue to plague BC Interior communities, this time affecting residents in and around Lillooet and Oliver.

The closure at Oliver's South Okanagan General Hospital’s emergency department began Sunday at 5 am and will last until noon.

Residents in the area are asked to go to Penticton Regional Hospital during the closure, around a 40-minute drive north.

Oliver’s ER recently experienced a previous closure from Friday afternoon to Saturday at noon.

The emergency room closure at Lillooet Hospital and Health Centre began at 7 am Sunday and will last until 8 am Tuesday.

Locals are asked to go to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops for emergency services, a two-hour drive.

Both closures are due to limited physician availability.

“People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (ie, chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 9-1-1 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility,” reads a news release from Interior Health.

“Anyone unsure whether an emergency room visit is warranted can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 or visit www.HealthLinkBC.ca for non-emergency health information from nurses, dietitians and pharmacists 24 hours a day, seven days per week.”