Doctors of BC has been aware of the chronic shortage of obstetricians providing maternity care in Kamloops for some time and has been working to prevent this from occurring while also supporting these physicians. Royal Inland Hospital is an important health care hub for neighbouring communities, and losing access to maternity care will significantly impact the entire region.
Obstetricians are highly specialized physicians who have devoted their lives to their work and care deeply about women’s health. The obstetricians in Kamloops have been warning of these challenges for some time, and the recent situation unfolding in Kamloops illustrates how untenable their working conditions have become.
Doctors are facing unprecedented demands in a health system with limited resources available, putting them in very difficult circumstances on an almost daily basis. Effective recruitment and retention of physicians is necessary to sustain essential services like obstetrical and maternity care.
Doctors of BC and its member physicians have made efforts over the past year to develop proposals and recruitment planning strategies for the Ministry’s consideration to avoid the current situation. Doctors of BC is ready and willing to work with the Ministry of Health and Interior Health to continue conversations, develop solutions to the immediate challenge of these complex clinical services, and collectively work towards long-term stability.