British ColumbiaIsland Health says the intensive care unit (ICU) at West Coast General Hospital in Port Alberni, B.C., has been closed indefinitely due to a shortage of specially trained doctors and nurses. While the emergency department remains open, patients requiring intensive care will be transferred to another hospital.Island Health says closure is temporary until adequate staffing levels are in placeMaryse Zeidler · CBC News · Posted: Nov 19, 2025 10:16 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The West Coast General Hospital is based in Port Alberni, B.C. (Google Maps)Island Health says the intensive care unit (ICU) at West Coast General Hospital (WCGH) in Port Alberni, B.C., has been closed indefinitely due to a shortage of specially trained doctors and nurses. The closure is a temporary measure until adequate staffing levels are in place, the health authority added. The three-bed ICU serves patients on the west coast of Vancouver Island, from Port Alberni to Tofino, including 10 Nuu-Chah-Nulth communities. “It’s a big worry for everyone,” said Nuu-Chah-Nulth president Judith Sayers. “Our people are really concerned that the services aren’t available here, making it really hard to go see loved ones that are in there.”In a written statement, Island Health says nothing will change for people in need of emergency medical care in the area. “The emergency department remains open and staffed by highly trained nurses and physicians, supported by specialized internal medicine physicians who typically support patients requiring ICU-level care,” Island Health said. “Patients who require admission to ICU will not be admitted at WCGH. They will be stabilized at WCGH and transferred to the most appropriate hospital, following standard emergency transfer processes.”Read more Vancouver Island newsIsland health says most patients will be transferred to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, about 85 kilometres — or a 70-minute drive — away. Island Health says ICU staffing shortages are happening across many rural hospitals across B.C. and Canada. Transferring the workloadOpposition Rural Health Critic Brennan Day told CBC News he wasn’t surprised to hear about the temporary closure. Day says the ICU at West Coast General Hospital has been on diversion on and off for the past 18 months, meaning anyone admitted to the unit would be sent to another hospital. But Day says the announcement suggests the closure will be longer than usual. He says the closure will create a ripple effect across Vancouver Island.”In Comox, they’ve been alerted that they may be receiving some patients and that facility is already quite overcrowded and is unfortunately already at capacity,” said Day, who is also the MLA for Courtenay-Comox.”When we close one facility, it’s transferring that workload onto staff that’s already at at the end of their rope.”Brennan Day is the MLA for Courtenay-Comox and the critic for rural health. (B.C. Legislative Assembly)Day says the shortage of doctors in rural ICUs is partly due to challenges with contract negotiations with the province. He says the doctors have a lack of incentives to work outside of a regular Monday to Friday schedule, and many leave to work in general practice instead. The Comox Valley Hospital has also similarly lost six ICU doctors since 2022, Day says, and another one will be leaving in the New Year. He worries temporary closures could happen there as well. “We’re seeing a lot of specialists transition out to better balance their work life, and unfortunately those that are staying in the system are being strapped with inadequate compensation for the level of work that they’re doing,” he said. ABOUT THE AUTHORMaryse Zeidler is an award-winning reporter who covers news from Nanaimo and north Vancouver Island. Have a news tip? You can reach her at maryse.zeidler@cbc.ca.
ICU at West Coast General Hospital in Port Alberni, B.C., temporarily closed due to staffing shortage
