Dix confident as maternity doctors meet to discuss fate of Kamloops clinic

Photo: Castanet

Kamloops maternity doctors are slated to meet in the coming days to decide whether it's feasible to reopen a clinic responsible for delivering most of the babies born in the city each month.

The Thompson Regional Family Obstetrics clinic, which delivers approximately 60 of the 100 babies born each month at Royal Inland Hospital, has stopped accepting new patients due to a doctor shortage.

TRFO Dr. Shaun Davis told Castanet Kamloops on Friday that doctors were planning to meet "in the next day or two." He said additional locum coverage has been secured that might make it possible for the TRFO clinic to begin accepting patients again.

The ministry of health has said repeatedly it is working with doctors and Interior Health to come up with a more permanent solution.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix, who was in Kamloops to announce progress on building a new cancer care centre at RIH, told reporters Thursday the work is still ongoing, and he expects to have an announcement soon.

“In part, it’s a payment model issue, and we’re working closely with the doctors to see that that's resolved, and make sure that people get the care that they need,” Dix said.

“My expectation is that we'll do that, and we'll have things to say about it soon.”

Weeks ago in the legislature, Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone questioned Dix about the clinic closure, saying it’s “unacceptable” that expectant parents are having to scramble to try and access prenatal care, in some cases driving hours to see a doctor.