The MLA for Merritt says its unacceptable that the emergency department at the Nicola Valley Hospital has been closed two times in the last four days.

Jackie Tegart says these closures – which Interior Health notes is due to a lack of doctors – comes despite numerous assurances from the provincial government that it is working to fix the issue.

“We have seen announcements and promises that this would not be happening, that they had a plan that they were putting money towards this, and quite honestly, whatever they say they are doing obviously is not working,” Tegart said on NL Newsday following two 24-hour emergency rooms closures on Friday of last week, and again yesterday.

“To have the emergency room closed for two days in four shows me that the system is broken”

Tegart – the MLA for Fraser-Nicola – says the two closures come about four months after Health Minister Adrian Dix announced $7.5 million in funding to address the lack of emergency room doctors in Merritt as well as Oliver, and Salmon Arm.

“I’ve had a conversation with the Mayor of Merritt and we hope to be penning a joint letter to the Minster and to the CEO of Interior Health to say ‘what is the plan here?'” Tegart said. “If the dollars aren’t the issue, then what is your plan because its not working.”

“Announcements and further platitudes are not what we are looking for. We want a plan where we can hold people accountable, and if its not working, we want to know why.”

There were 20 emergency room closures in Merritt last year due to a lack of either doctors or nurses.

“We can’t keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result,” Tegart said. “I’ve met with nurses who are more than willing to sit down with Interior Health and talk about strategy, but you try and get a meeting.”

People are saying ‘we are here to help’, and ‘we are committed to the system’ but the system is not there to listen to us.”