Anger and fear rippled through Delta, Ladner and Tsawwassen over the weekend after a doctor shortage led to the closure of Delta Hospital’s emergency room for two evenings, leaving almost 120,000 people without critical access to health care.

It was a double blow to the South Delta region, which not only doesn’t have any other walk-in health-care services, but is also hotly debating how it can accommodate potentially thousands of new residents as part of mandatory housing density requirements from the provincial NDP government.

“A lot of people are shocked and scared,” said Delta South MLA Ian Paton.

It made for an eerie weekend, he said, as residents were left listening to fire truck and ambulance sirens in the evening with no idea where people in medical distress might go.

“They are very concerned, and so am I,” said Delta Mayor George Harvie. He intends to get city council together Monday morning to issue a demand to the provincial government and Fraser Health for more information.

“Our community really supports our Delta Hospital, it raises millions of dollars, but we need to have the province provide some additional services or either expand the emergency department itself,” he said.

Fraser Health announced the........

© BIV