By Cheryl Jahn

Municipalities deal with ER closures

Jul 29, 2024 | 3:21 PM

NORTHERN BC – The list of openings for registered nurses in Prince George alone takes up 14 pages of Northern Health’s job listings. That doesn’t include the smaller, rural communities. And those communities – both in Northern Health and Interior Health – are suffering from hospital and Emergency Room closures due to staffing shortages. Something BC United Leader Kevin Falcon addressed during a media briefing.

“There were 55 closures in Northern Health just in July alone. Northern and interior health, 55 closures. And right here in Interior Health, 27 in the month of July alone. I can tell you that is substandard care for a large part of the population in this province, and you’re going to see it’s getting worse.”

The District of Mackenzie has had a number of hospital closures in recent months, including this weekend. But the Mayor of that community – someone who is admittedly a glass-half-full kind of person – says everyone is working as hard as they can to address the issue.

WILDFIRE WATCH

First Nation west of Quesnel placed on evacuation alert

23m ago

WHL PRE-SEASON

Cougars open pre-season with loss to Oil Kings

56m ago

BC FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

Kodiaks fall to Huskers in Chilliwack

1h ago

“Do I think Northern Health or the provincial government are working to withhold medical services to our community? Certainly not,” says Mayor Joan Atkinson. “You know, it’s a very difficult situation. And this is not a northern B.C. problem or a British Columbia problem. It’s right across the country. There are not enough health professionals.”

Last week, Health Minister Adrian Dix lifted the vaccine mandate, opening the doors for the return of healthcare workers to the system.

“So I’m glad they’ve done it. I’ve always said it’s never the wrong time to make the right decision, but we’re paying a huge price by having sidelined thousands of healthcare workers at a time when we so desperately need them,” says Falcon. “So let’s just hope that they can be hired immediately, especially those nurses and doctors and carers, and help us in the crisis that we’re in today.”

And that’s a sentiment shared by Mayor Atkinson, who says every little bit helps.

“Those people who unfortunately felt they had to step away from their jobs did it for their own personal reasons. And we have to respect that. So I’m just hoping that they recognize how desperate our province needs, their skill and expertise. One nurse, ten nurses, 100 nurses, every every body makes a difference.”

She adds everyone in her community has access to a doctor as well as ambulance services, adding anything serious would be treated in Prince George anyway.