ER closing for 25 hours

Interior Health has announced a temporary service interruption at Nicola Valley Hospital emergency department on Friday night.

The ER will be closed starting 7 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 16 to 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024.

Patients are being advised to access care at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops during the closure.

During this time, all other inpatient services will continue as normal at Nicola Valley Hospital.

People in Merritt who need life-threatening emergency care should always call 911 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility, IH said.

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 at Nicola Valley Hospital is normally open 24/7.