BC香蕉视频直播檚 Minister of Health, Josie Osborne, is visiting Kelowna General Hospital today (KGH), but local MLA Gavin Dew says the visit doesn香蕉视频直播檛 fix what he calls a long-standing crisis in health care.
香蕉视频直播淭oday, Minister Osborne is finally visiting KGH, but we are hearing some groups of healthcare professionals have been selectively excluded from meetings,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淓ither the Minister doesn香蕉视频直播檛 want to hear the full story, or information is being withheld from her. Clearly, there is much more work to do to rebuild trust and reset the system.香蕉视频直播�
The health ministry has confirmed Osborne香蕉视频直播檚 visit.
香蕉视频直播淭he distinct impression I get is that she香蕉视频直播檚 coming to town in order to have a curated set of meetings so that when she doesn香蕉视频直播檛 show up at the town hall on Wednesday, she can say she was here,香蕉视频直播� Dew added.
IH is currently being led by an interim CEO following the resignation of Susan Brown earlier this month. While some see the leadership change as a step forward, Dew argues it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 go far enough.
香蕉视频直播淪wapping out one person at Interior Health doesn香蕉视频直播檛 let the province off the hook,香蕉视频直播� Dew said. 香蕉视频直播淭his crisis didn香蕉视频直播檛 appear overnight香蕉视频直播攁nd it didn香蕉视频直播檛 happen in a vacuum.香蕉视频直播�
He pointed to stalled or delayed health care improvements, including 50 hospital beds worth of unfinished space at KGH that have sat idle for more than a decade.
香蕉视频直播淧atients are treated in crowded hallways,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淲e need more doctors trained at UBCO and more lab techs coming out of Okanagan College. And we need a government that understands health care in the Interior isn香蕉视频直播檛 an afterthought香蕉视频直播攊t香蕉视频直播檚 a priority. So far, we香蕉视频直播檝e seen little urgency and little proof that Minister Osborne gets that.香蕉视频直播�
In May, the 10-bed inpatient pediactrics unit at KGH was shut down due to a shortage of doctors. IH has stated that is making progress to reopen the unit, however, no firm date has been announced.
Dew acknowledged that the health minister was at least "showing up."
"But you make choices around what you do when you schedule on of these things," he said. "The fact there is no media release, there's no media availability that I'm aware of, there's no details, suggests to me that there is still some work to be done."
Dew and fellow Kelowna-area BC Conservative MLAs Kristina Loewen and Macklin McCall are hosting Kelowna Health Care Crisis Town Hall on Wednesday, July 2. The public event runs from 5香蕉视频直播�7 p.m. at the Coast Capri Hotel and will feature patients, families and frontline workers sharing personal experiences with the health care system.
香蕉视频直播淭his is a chance to hear directly from the people who live with the consequences of this government香蕉视频直播檚 failure every day,香蕉视频直播� Dew said, 香蕉视频直播渁nd to send a message to the government that it香蕉视频直播檚 time to fix our healthcare.香蕉视频直播�
