More Haida Gwaii Health care staffing issues bring closures into January; Rumours bring Northern Health reply on Doctor's plans in Prince Rupert

Masset and Old Masset residents up again for holiday period closures for Northern Health on Haida Gwaii, an update from the Health Authority yesterday announced plans for the closure of the Northern Haida Gwaii Hospital Emergency Department from Today until January 2nd.

The second closure of the Masset area hospital follows the Christmas period closure for the community  which lasted from December 21 to 25.

On the eastern side of Hecate Strait, the health care challenges for the Health Authority have led to a number of questions posed on the Prince Rupert Specific Social Media page, with aa number of residents concerned about rumours of local Doctors set to close their practices.

While Northern Health notes that it can't confirm or deny any specific plans from local health practitioners, they do outline that notice to patients is required by local physicians.

They also observe that two new doctors are set to arrive in Prince Rupert in 2024, with recruitment of others continuing.

So far the ongoing turmoil for health care on Haida Gwaii and concerns over local service for the Prince Rupert area have not generated any comment from North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice, who is also the Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health.

The MLA'S year end message to constituents does note of the progress the NDP government has made in the area of health care this past year, though it's likely a correspondence not resonating as hoped on Haida Gwaii this holiday period.

More notes on Health Care across the region can be explored here.