The District of Port Hardy is responding to community frustration over the continued limited hours at the town’s hospital emergency department.
Mayor Pat Corbett-Labatt says the District does not control hospital operations or staffing — those responsibilities fall to Island Health and the province.
Mayor Pat Corbett-Labatt comments:
“Recent social media posts suggest that the district is sitting silent, or can reopen the ER, are simply not accurate,” said Corbett-Labatt. “There is a misunderstanding about who is responsible for health care services.”
Corbett-Labatt says council has been meeting regularly with Island Health, B.C. Emergency Health Services, and provincial officials to push for staffing support and longer emergency hours. The mayor says the District has asked for the ER to stay open until 7 p.m. nightly — a request now under review.
She adds that Port Hardy’s advocacy has led to recent provincial investments in staff housing, recruitment incentives, air ambulance service and a future CT scanner.
Corbett-Labatt says there are still more than 40 health-care vacancies across the region, while attracting and retaining workers remains the biggest challenge.
Click here to view a video of the mayor’s comments on the matter at the Oct. 28 district council meeting.
We have reached out to Island Health for comments and are awaiting their statement.
