Seven OB/GYNs have resigned from in-hospital care in Kamloops, according to a letter signed by the doctors on Saturday and first obtained by CFJC News.
In the letter, the doctors state that they have safety concerns due to what they call a changing workload and an inability to recruit, adding that the group feels a lack of support for women’s health at the provincial level.
“IHA (Interior Health Authority) is very concerned having had seven obstetricians resign,” Dr. Mark Masterson, Vice President of Medicine for Interior Health, told Global News.
Interior Health says it’s been working collaboratively with the specialists but admits there’s room for improvement.
“We have lots of opportunity to improve the practices for our providers, and we have lots that we listen to and lots we try to act on… and we also have an opportunity here to lean in further, in working together,” Masterson added.
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This dispute has been simmering for the past two years, with compensation, recruitment and working conditions being highlighted.
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“A couple of the doctors did reach out to me with their own letter, as well as a follow-up to what was sent to the health authority,” B.C. Conservative MLA for Kamloops Centre, Peter Milobar, told Global News.
“And certainly the issues and the concerns they’ve raised are very similar to what I’m hearing reported with the letter … For literally eight years, they have been trying with the government to try to get action and changes made around recruitment, around retention, around job satisfaction, around pay levels, all of these issues that have finally come to a head.”
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Interior Health says other specialists can perform C-sections, so those and other maternity-related surgeries will continue in Kamloops.
B.C.’s Health Minister is assuring expectant mothers that care will be provided at Royal Inland despite the challenges, adding the ministry and IH are doing everything they can to recruit doctors and restore proper care.
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“We’re also in the process of finalizing the new contract offer that will significantly increase compensation to better support workloads, improve recruitment and retention,” Josie Osborne said.
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