Mission resident Leanne Smythe says it's frightening to think about what could happen if people can't rely on the emergency room at Mission Memorial Hospital.

She had to take her kids there when they were growing up, but she fears for people who take their children to the ER and cannot get the healthcare they need.

Smythe was one of dozens of local residents, health-care workers and local leaders rallying in the rain outside the hospital on Saturday, calling for the Fraser Health Authority to take immediate action to prevent further overnight emergency room closures.

Last Sunday, the ER closed to new patients between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. Monday to ensure everyone already in the department could be seen by a doctor before their shift ended at 11 p.m. PT.

It was the sixth time this year d

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