Home / Health / Yukon Town Faces Medical Crisis as Health Center Closes, Paramedic Services Suspended
Yukon Town Faces Medical Crisis as Health Center Closes, Paramedic Services Suspended
16 Aug
Summary
- Faro, Yukon has no primary care paramedic or nurses this weekend
- Town's health center closed since Aug 6 due to lack of nurses, expected to reopen Sept 5
- Volunteers may be first responders to emergencies over the weekend
As of August 16, 2025, the town of Faro, Yukon is grappling with a significant medical crisis. The town's health center has been temporarily closed since August 6th due to a shortage of nurses, and this closure is expected to last until September 5th.
Adding to the community's woes, there will be no primary care paramedic services available in Faro from August 15th to August 19th. This means that in the event of a medical emergency over the upcoming weekend, local volunteers may be the first to respond, as the nearest emergency medical services are located an hour and 15 minutes away in the community of Ross River.
Retired nurse and volunteer firefighter Douglas Tutty expressed concerns about Faro's ability to handle medical emergencies during this period, stating, "We're in the wilderness and without health care." The town has urged residents to call 911 for any emergencies, but the lack of on-site medical personnel is a significant cause for concern.
Yukon Health and Social Services representative Nigel Allan has assured that emergency medical services will continue to respond to 911 calls in Faro, dispatching the appropriate resources, whether it's an EMS team from a neighboring community or air transport from Whitehorse. However, the absence of a primary care paramedic means that critical assessments and decisions regarding medevac transport cannot be made within the community.
