For the eighth time in three weeks, Interior Health (IH) says Oliver hospital's emergency room is closing due to a doctor shortage.

Emergency services at the South Okanagan General Hospital will be unavailable from 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, to 7 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31.

This marks the eighth emergency room closure at the hospital since Aug. 9.

Patients can access care at the Penticton Regional Hospital during this time, IH said.

Oliver's emergency room has been plagued with service interruptions since 2023. It closed more than a dozen times last fall, before being hit several more interruptions through 2024.

Since June 9, the hospital's emergency room has closed 17 different times.

All other inpatient services have continued as normal at South Okanagan General Hospital, IH said.

People in the community who need life-threatening emergency care (i.e., chest pains, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding) should always call 9-1-1 for transport to the nearest available and appropriate facility, the regional health authority added.