Skeena MLA Raises issue of Emergency Room closures in Question Period

With some recent high profile closures of Emergency facilities in hospitals across British Columbia, the BC United Party made health care a focus for a portion of the Thursday morning Question Period, with Skeena MLA Ellis Ross among a number of opposition MLA's to take the Government to task for the situation facing those seeking Emergency health care.

The topic has been high on the list for many residents of the Northwest, with Hospital emergency closures during the summer and as MLA Ross noting even this week in Kitimat.  

Other concerning situations this summer included having maternity patients required to travel to Terrace at times owing to staffing issues at other health care facilities.

Northwest Health Care staffing issues in Smithers make for concerning news story for CTV BC

In Prince Rupert, New parenthood in September started with a road trip to Terrace 

For his Thursday contribution to the Legislature, the Skeena MLA focused on the concerning issues of the emergency department.

"In the Williams Lake emergency room, there's a sign that says you have to be imminently dying to get health care. You can't deny that. 

In Smithers, it's gotten so bad that the emergency room nurses had to call 911. 

Seven years, two elections of NDP promises and still, after all these empty announcements, health care is getting worse, not better. 

Just yesterday in Kitimat, our emergency room had to shut its doors once again. Meanwhile, the Health Minister calls the collapse of the health system across B.C., under his watch, the new normal. 

So does the Premier — the Premier — think the people of Kitimat should settle for this disastrous NDP new normal, where emergency rooms are as good as closed and you have to be imminently dying to get help or require nurses to dial 911 in our hospitals in B.C.?" 

Health Minister Adrian Dix outlined the province's approach to recruiting more professionals and noting of a new hospital that is about to be completed in Mr. Ross's constituency, a reference to the current Mills Memorial Project in Terrace. 

"What we're doing across B.C., under our health human resources plan, is bringing more doctors, more nurses, more health sciences professionals. How do we do that? With respect to doctors — by ensuring there are more international medical graduates, by tripling the practice-ready assessment program. It benefits his constituency, which has also got a new hospital coming."

The commentary from Mr. Ross and the Health Minister's reply can be viewed below:

The full BC United focus on Health Care can be viewed  from Question Period Video presentation from BC Legislature Archive page, those questions and the Health Minister's replies start at 11:00 of the morning session.

Notes on Health care across the province can be reviewed through our archive page here.

Items of interest from the Legislature can be found from our archive here.