We looked at data on temporary closures, reduced services in B.C. hospitals this year. Here's what we found

This story is part of Situation Critical, a series from CBC British Columbia reporting on the barriers people in this province face in accessing timely and appropriate health care.

B.C.'s health-care system is experiencing historic pressures as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and staffing shortages, which have led to numerous service reductions and emergency room closures, primarily in rural areas.

CBC News has independently verified data tracking ER closures across the province, as well as diversions and closures of maternity units.

We found hospitals in B.C.'s Interior have experienced the most ER closures this year, and hospitals that announced reduced services were closed for more than 16 hours on average. Most of those closures were outside the province's major urban centres.

No community, however, has been more affected than Clearwater, a district 120 kilometres north of Kamloops, with a little over 2,300 residents.

The Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater has had its emergency department closed for a total of 375 hours this year, more than 16 days in total. This week alone, four closures were announced for the ER.

"In the height of tourism season, with locals doing all the things that they like to do, which generally involves power tools and things that take off fingers and the like, it's very challenging for locals," said Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell on Tuesday.

"I know of multiple … incidents where people either waited out the ER closure and came in after it, or went to Kamloops and waited for hours and hours and hours."

Blackwell said the community is also home to Trans Mountain Pipeline workers, further putting a strain on health-care resources.

Nearly all of the hospital closures have been blamed on staffing shortages, a recurring issue over the course of the pandemic.

Blackwell said he had positive discussions with provincial leaders about attracting more workers to Clearwater. But given that most of the hospital's ER closures have happened since April — almost once a week since then — he said he is concerned for the summer.

"The biggest concern for me is getting this stabilized," he said. "I think help is on its way in a big, focused way by Interior Health. That's a change that I really haven't seen in [a] year and a half or so."