Castlegar and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Castlegar and District Community Health Centre due to unexpected limited physician availability.
Starting 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, emergency services will be unavailable and patients can access care at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail or Kootenay Lake Hospital in Nelson.
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.
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.
The emergency department in Castlegar is normally open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.