British Columbia: Dan Davies, an MLA from Northern B.C., is demanding answers after the emergency department in Fort St. John closed five times in a week. Residents are being sent to Dawson Creek, which is an hour away, for emergency care. Davies says this delay can be life-threatening.
The problem isn’t just in Fort St. John. Since January, there have been over 150 closures in Northern Health. This includes the hospital in Chetwynd also diverting patients to Dawson Creek, which is putting a lot of pressure on the smaller Dawson Creek hospital.
Davies wrote to Health Minister Adrian Dix, saying that the health system is collapsing and there is no urgent plan to fix it. He also criticized Northern Health’s poor communication, as people are often informed of closures only hours before they happen via Facebook.
Dix said the ministry is working on solutions, but sometimes closures are unavoidable. The BC Nurses’ Union believes the problem is preventable and calls for better staff retention and support.
The province is trying to retain and recruit more doctors and nurses, add ambulances, appoint staff to vacant positions, and provide virtual physician support to help with the situation.