Home / Health / Port Alberni Hospital Ends Two-Week Patient Pause
Port Alberni Hospital Ends Two-Week Patient Pause
25 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Hospital admissions restarted Wednesday after a two-week hiatus.
- Staffing shortages previously limited admissions to patients with family doctors.
- The ICU remains closed due to ongoing staffing challenges.
West Coast General Hospital in Port Alberni, British Columbia, has successfully resumed admitting patients, concluding a two-week service interruption that began earlier this month. The pause was a direct consequence of insufficient hospitalist physicians available to care for patients requiring general hospital treatment but not specialist intervention.
Island Health confirmed that staffing levels have been restored, allowing for the full recommencement of admissions on Wednesday. While efforts continue to finalize the physician schedule, the health authority expressed confidence in preventing future prolonged disruptions to inpatient care. However, the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) remains closed, a situation that has persisted for over a month.
The West Coast General Hospital is a vital facility serving an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 residents across the Alberni Valley and the western coast of Vancouver Island. Despite the return of inpatient services, the ongoing ICU closure highlights the continuing staffing challenges faced by the hospital.
