Physicians from across B.C. have signed a letter supporting a group of resigning Kamloops obstetrician-gynecologists, amplifying their concerns and calling on the province to negotiate in good faith.
The Oct. 17 letter, signed by 130 doctors, is addressed to Sylvia Weir, Interior Health CEO, and Minister of Health Josie Osborne.
“We have also raised alarms about this looming maternity crisis, only to be similarly dismissed,” it reads.
“The consequences are materializing: The loss of Kamloops as a key mid-sized maternity hub will have real and immediate impacts on patients.”
Earlier this month, the entire team of OBGYNs at Royal Inland Hospital resigned, saying they were overworked and suffering extreme burn out. The physicians said they had voiced concerns for years and had tried to raise solutions, but to no avail.
Interior Health said it is stepping up recruitment efforts in an attempt to bring additional OBGYNs to Kamloops, and offering more than $7,000 per day to locum doctors to fill maternity shifts at RIH.
The Oct. 17 letter said the provincial OBGYN community is “alarmed by the short-sighted reliance on locum physicians as stop gaps,” and called out IH’s recruitment plans as being "unrealistic," especially as current staff have reported feeling unsupported and overworked.
“The use of these short term stop gaps rather than negotiating fairly with the current OBGYN group has not gone unnoticed,” the letter reads.
“We will not be participating in these temporary coverage plans or in the supervision of new hires under these conditions.
“We urge the health authority and the ministry of health to abandon this reactive approach, acknowledge the systemic failures that led us here, and work in good faith with the Kamloops OBGYNs to find a sustainable solution.”
Kamloops-Centre MLA Peter Milobar, who raised the letter in the legislature on Monday, said the minister must respond with a “real sustainable plan.”
“The minister didn’t listen to the seven OBGYNs in Kamloops — maybe she’ll finally listen to the 130 OBGYNs and the hundreds of residents who rallied this weekend demanding action,” he said.
A rally held in front of Royal Inland Hospital on Saturday drew a sizeable crowd. Attendees said they were concerned about what resignations might mean for pregnant women and broader women’s health issues in Kamloops.
The letter can be read in full here.
