Stone grills health minister on Kamloops maternity crisis, Dix still confident

Photo: Castanet

B.C.’s health minister says he’s still confident a new deal will be worked out to remedy the city’s maternity crisis, which is forcing some pregnant Kamloops women to travel hours for prenatal care.

Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone grilled Health Minister Adrian Dix on the Thompson Regional Family Obstetrics clinic closure Thursday in the Legislature.

The TRFO clinic, which delivers about 60 of the 100 babies born each month at Royal Inland Hospital, has stopped accepting new patients due to a shortage of doctors.

“It’s unacceptable that these women are told to go to the overcrowded ER for even the most basic tests,” he said.

“It’s unacceptable that many are left to scramble trying to access prenatal care from as far away as Prince George and Abbotsford, and it’s unacceptable that many of these women and their partners are having to face the decision of possibly moving out of Kamloops, leaving their jobs, in order to access basic care that should be available in Canada.”

The impending closure of the TRFO was first made public in February, when reported on by Castanet Kamloops.

Since then, the ministry has said repeatedly that it is working with doctors and Interior Health to come up with a solution.

“We raised this question three months ago in this house and, characteristic of this government, the response was, ‘We’re having meetings, we’re in discussions,’” Stone said Thursday.

“Well, since then, this crisis has gotten worse and worse and expectant moms are increasingly filled with stress and fear and anxiety.”

Dix said his ministry is in negotiations with doctors.

“We are working with doctors, you bet we are, to find and put in place a permanent solution that provides maternity care in Kamloops,” he said.

“I’m confident that we’ll be able to resolve this issue.”

TRFO Dr. Shaun Davis told Castanet Kamloops last month he was also confident a deal would get done.