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South Okanagan Photos

Princeton Hospital closures go to regional board

TO: Board of Directors Okanagan Similkameen Regional Hospital

District FROM: Bill Newell, CAO DATE: 7 June 2012

RE: Princeton General Hospital Emergency Facilities Closure

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Board support the Princeton Save Our Hospital Coalition request to the Minister of Health to reverse the cuts to emergency services at Princeton General Hospital and return the service to its previous 24/7 coverage.

REFERENCE:

1. Princeton Save Our Hospital Coalition Letter to Minister of Health 2. IHA Plan for Princeton General Hospital 3. Weyerhaeuser Letter to Minister

HISTORY: The residents of Princeton and the surrounding area have faced an escalating deterioration of emergency services at the Princeton General Hospital over the past few years. In 2012 the Interior Health Authority announced cessation of over-night service from Monday to Thursday.

ALTERNATIVES:

1. Support the PSOH Coalition 2. Remain neutral ANALYSIS: Princeton is home to over 3,000 residents and has an active industrial economy with Weyerhaeuser and the Princeton Copper Mine, among others. It also serves a large population in the rural Princeton area, stretching from Missezula Lake to Tulameen through Eastgate to Manning Park. It supports a busy tourism base and Highway 3 is challenging in this coverage area. The cessation of emergency room coverage and services during the evening hours has the community very concerned.

IHA argues that they can’t attract doctors to staff the Princeton General Hospital Emergency Room on a full time basis. They have offered to create a committee to investigate how this might be addressed, but the IHA Leadership seem pessimistic that it will do any good. They suggest that this may be the new status quo, or that it may deteriorate further.

A coalition of government, industry, business, professional and public has formed to petition the Minister of Health to reverse the IHA decision on PGH. The coalition believes there is a solution if the province thinks outside the box and provides additional funding to address a very specific problem.

The coalition is asking for OSRHD support as they petition to meet with the Minister of Health to discuss their concern.

Thanks to GlobalBC for picture