Holiday closure update for Community Health Centres

Press Release

December 11, 2024

The Department of Health would like to inform Nunavummiut that during the Government of Nunavut (GN) holiday closure—from December 24, 2024, to January 1, 2025—community health facilities will operate with reduced services. Emergency care will remain available throughout this period, ensuring that the health and well-being of residents remain a top priority.

Health Centres will be operating during the holidays under emergency services only. Available services include:

• 24/7 On-Call Services: Emergency care and triage will be available at all times.
• Urgent & Necessary Care: There will be no disruption to access.
• Pre-Booked Appointments: If an appointment cannot be safely deferred, it will proceed as planned. If there are any cancellations, patients will be notified.

Iqaluit Health Services will continue to provide several essential services during the holiday closure to ensure clients, patients, and residents receive high-quality, accurate, and timely care. The following services will operate as usual during this period:

• Emergency Department.
• Inpatient Services.
• Pharmacy Services.

The following services will be available at a reduced capacity during the holiday closure:

• Ambulatory Care Clinics (Qikiqtani General Hospital Clinics & Family Practice).
• Rehabilitation Services.
• Iqaluit Case Management.
• Public Health Services.
• Home and Community Care Services.
• Diagnostic Imaging.
• Laboratory Services.
• Health Records.
• Environmental Services.
• Biomedical Services.
• Central Sterilizing and Reprocessing.
• Surgical Services (emergencies only; no scheduled surgeries).

The Extended Hours Pilot in health centres in Pond Inlet, Kugaaruk, and Rankin Inlet will also be paused during the following periods.

• Kugaaruk: December 16 – January 12.
• Rankin Inlet: December 16 – January 24.
• Pond Inlet: December 6 – early January.

Please ensure to refill prescriptions and address non-urgent health concerns before the holiday closure period.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your community health care provider. A complete list of health facility contact information is available on the Department of Health webpage.

IHT4