Mission Memorial Hospital experienced a service interruption on Friday night (Aug. 2) and Saturday morning (Aug. 3) due to a physician shortage, according to a Fraser Health announcement.
Residents of Mission and the surrounding area were advised of the nine-hour interruption beginning Aug. 2 at 11 p.m. and lasting until Aug. 3 at 8 a.m.
Those with life-threatening emergencies such as chest pain, difficulty breathing or severe bleeding were urged to call 9-1-1 for transport to the nearest "available and appropriate facility."
Emergency trained nurses were on-site at the Mission hospital during the interruption to support walk-in patients needing basic first aid, assist with re-direction of care, and transfer patients with urgent needs to a neighbouring hospital.
Wait times at the nearest hospitals on Friday were over eight hours in Abbotsford, four hours at Ridge Meadows, almost eight in Chilliwack, and close to 10 in Langley.
The hospital redirected care earlier this summer due to physician staffing shortages, redirecting care for 14 hours on July 22 and 23.
Fraser Health previously said plans are in place to prevent further “service adaptations” at Mission Memorial Hospital, including recruitment of doctors, incentives for critical shifts and extending the hours of urgent and primary care centres.
According to Fraser Health, “significant” national and international recruitment efforts continue and a pair of new out-of-province doctors recently started taking shifts at Mission Memorial Hospital.
Fraser Health said it is not alone in the staffing shortage challenge. The authority says that with the province, it monitors emergency departments and implement targeted strategies to mitigate diversions.
