B.C. funding in support of physician coverage isn’t enough: Merritt mayor

B.C. announced $7.5 million in funding to assist in stabilizing physician coverage at hospitals in Merritt, Oliver, and Salmon Arm on Wednesday.

Minister of Health Adrian Dix says the province is using this funding to take action toward solving staffing issues in these communities.

“B.C., like all jurisdictions in Canada, is facing recruitment and retention challenges that were exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing toxic-drug crisis, and the rising number of patients with complex healthcare needs, and we know that these challenges are more prominent in rural and remote communities,” he stated in a government release.

This move comes as several emergency rooms in the area have been forced to regularly close due to a shortage of physicians.

Merritt, B.C.’s emergency room has been shut down over a dozen times so far this year.

Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz says, while he appreciates the assistance, he still has questions.

“This is a bit of a band-aid or a stop-gap … we’ll take everything we can get to help keep the hospitals open, but what does the future look like a year down the road, two years down the road, three years down the road?” he asked.

Goetz says this staffing problem has dragged on for far too long in Merritt, and he feels this could eventually end up sealing the hospital’s fate.

“Seniors and people who need to see a doctor who are dealing with cancer and stuff are unhappy,” he said.

“We aren’t accepting it as ‘business as usual.’ The minute we start doing that, that’ll be the end of this hospital and everyone will be driving to Kamloops or Kelowna forever.”

Goetz adds that the province might have the wrong idea if it wants to help out in Merritt.

“I’m not saying we’re 100 per cent liquid in doctors, but our hospital really doesn’t close down because of doctors, it closes down because of nurses,” he explained.

The province notes that the majority of this funding comes from the federal government’s recent $1.2 billion bilateral agreement to improve healthcare in B.C.