Emergency services at Oliver's hospital were again made unavailable on Wednesday, Aug. 21.

The South Okanagan General Hospital's emergency department will be closed from 1 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday due to a doctor shortage, Interior Health (IH) said.

This marks the fifth closure at the hospital's emergency room since Aug. 9.

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

All other inpatient services will continue as normal at the Oliver hospital.

Its emergency department has been plagued with service interruptions through 2024, after it closed more than a dozen times in the fall of 2023.

Over the last 12 days, emergency services in the community have been made unavailable for more than 24 consecutive hours.

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, IH said.