What's happening at Interior Health is a "catastrophe," according to BC Conservatives health critic and family doctor Anna Kindy.
"In my 40 years as a physician, I've never seen it this bad," said Kindy, who is also the Campbell River-based Conservative MLA for North Island.
"While each health authority has its problems, Interior Health has it the worst. It's unacceptable, unbelievable and very scary. What is a woman to do when she needs an urgent caesarean section? What are you to do when you need care immediately and the ER is closed."
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In particular, Kindy is referring to the three latest crises within Interior Health.
Seven obstetricians and gynecologists at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops will no longer provide in-hospital care during labour, delivery and caesarean sections for pregnant women as soon as replacements are found.
Four psychiatrists resigned from their acute care and on-call jobs at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.
And, the pediatric unit at Kelowna General Hospital closed for two months earlier this year because of severe staff shortages.
In each case, doctors and staff cited work overload, burnout and Interior Health not offering enough support.
"Frontline workers are burning out and reaching out to Interior Health and Interior Health is not listening," said Kindy.
"We've seen it with the pediatricians in Kelowna, the ob-gyns in Kamloops and the psychiatrists in Vernon. It's definitely a catastrophe when whole departments shut down and entire staff resign. Listen to the frontline, don't censor the frontline, and solve the crisis."
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Kindy knows that's easier said than done because the current messes are symptoms of an overarching problem that's been manifesting for years.
"BC needs to double medical school space immediately, not just add 50 spaces in 2026 at Simon Fraser (University)," she said.
"Hospitals need to be given more money to hire and retain frontline workers to keep operating rooms open and do more MRIs. ORs and ERs (emergency rooms) are sitting idle because of staff shortages. Get them back to full capacity and eliminate the long wait times for treatment."
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No one within Interior Health or the provincial NDP government is accountable for the failures, according to Kindy.
"The buck stops with the CEO of Interior Health (Sylvia Weir) and the minister of health (Josie Osborne). They are in charge and they have to make the changes. Band-Aid solutions and hallway medicine are not fixing the problems."
Previous Interior Health CEO Susan Brown stepped down in June after the pediatric unit closure fiasco at Kelowna General Hospital.
Interior Health CFO Sylvia Weir was promoted to interim CEO and then granted the job full-time last month.
“I am acutely aware of the challenges we collectively face both at IH (Interior Health) and as a broader health-care sector," said Weir when she became permanent CEO.
"But, I am confident through our continued focus on engagement, innovation, strategic partnerships and financial sustainability we will be able to maintain our commitment to delivering the highest quality and most effective care possible to communities.”
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"The new leadership hasn't made any difference," said Gavin Dew, Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission and the the critic for jobs, economic development and innovation.
"I've been talking with doctors and nurses and nothing's changed. In fact, it's still bad and getting worse. It's a perpetually unresolvable crisis."
Dew said a complete reset is needed to fix the plight of Interior Health and the BC health care system.
"Value employees, communicate more, have more mental health supports, institute better recruitment and retention," he said.
"The minister of health and the CEO of IH have shown an inability to do that. We're tired of hearing they're working on it. At this stage, it's hard to know if we've hit bottom or where the bottom is, for that matter. What we do know is we need to dig out and dig out fast."
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While health care is a provincial jurisdiction, Dan Albas, the Conservative MP for Okanagan Lake West-South Kelowna is speaking out on the topic because his federal riding covers part of the Interior Health region.
"Why are foreign doctors and nurses who moved here to work in health care driving UBERs?" asked Albas, who is also the shadow minister for transport.
"They should be helping reduce lines at Kelowna General Hospital."
Albas is also an advocate of a national 'blue seal' program where qualified health care workers can go anywhere in Canada to work.
"We pay so much in taxes, we should have better health care," he added.
"Leadership is everything. It has to do things with competence, not just words."
