Public Notice
UPDATED: August 20 to include more details on how and when you can reach the BC Family Support Line
For the latest and up-to-date information, visit the Wildfire Health Services Updates page.
(Yellowknife, August 19, 2023) – This update is for families of patients and long term care residents who have been evacuated from the NWT.
At this time, all Long Term Care residents who have been evacuated from the NWT have been contacted by the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority to provide information about where the resident is located and information about how to contact the facility they were received at in Alberta has been shared.
Over the next 48 hours our goal is to do this same notification for those identified as next-of-kin contacts for patients who were evacuated from Stanton Territorial Hospital.
We have received feedback in certain cases from family members of long term care facilities that they have not been contacted. Unfortunately we are unable to contact all of the family members of every resident and patient we have evacuated. Our process is to notify the individual identified as next-of-kin on the patients medical records and notify that person alone.
We ask people who have been or are notified about family member evacuation details to share these within your family and those who are close with the individual evacuated. This will not only bring relief to those wondering if their loved ones are safe but also reduce demand on the health and social services system by individuals contacting for information that we are unable to provide.
BC Family Support Line
BC has set up a Family Support Line at 1-844-824-2219 (toll-free) and they will help provide info for family of in-patients from Stanton Territorial Hospital who were moved to BC. This number will be operational 24/7 until 5pm Pacific Time on Monday, 21st. After that time it will be reassessed based on demand. It will be answered 8:30pm to 5pm Pacific time regardless.
This toll free number works in Alberta and British Columbia; it may not work in the territories or other provinces. If you are having trouble dialing toll-free, please dial 604-875-4953.
Further Updates
We remain committed to keeping residents informed and will continue to assess our service levels daily as the situation unfolds. Any service changes will be announced on the NTHSSA website and via our Facebook.
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