The three Kelowna-area BC Conservative MLAs are urging Health Minister Josie Osborne to hear firsthand from frontline health workers struggling in what they call a full-blown crisis at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH).
MLAs Gavin Dew (Kelowna乌鸦传媒揗ission), Kristina Loewen (Kelowna Centre), and Macklin McCall (West Kelowna乌鸦传媒揚eachland) are inviting the minister to a to address what they describe as growing failures in local health care乌鸦传媒攆rom emergency delays to children乌鸦传媒檚 services, and what they say is a lack of political accountability.
乌鸦传媒淕iven the unprecedented crisis happening right now, the minister of health needs to look these people in the eye, actually listen to them, and convince them things are going to change,乌鸦传媒� Dew said in a media release.
Dew said the call to action comes after a recent tour of the KGH emergency department, where MLAs heard directly from staff.
乌鸦传媒淲hat we have all heard over and over is clear乌鸦传媒攃onfidence is shattered, morale is dangerously low, and people feel abandoned and unheard,乌鸦传媒� Dew said. 乌鸦传媒淢inister Osborne has not set foot in KGH since becoming health minister.乌鸦传媒�
McCall said the situation isn乌鸦传媒檛 just about a lack of staff 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 about a lack of leadership.
乌鸦传媒淭he people keeping KGH running deserve to have their voices heard,乌鸦传媒� he said.
Loewen pointed to system-wide problems and said the province has ignored warning signs.
乌鸦传媒淒octors are going public because they乌鸦传媒檝e run out of options and they have no confidence there is a plan to fix this,乌鸦传媒� she added.
Dew said he also heard from KGH doctors that there is space for 36 beds in an unfinished area of the Centennial Building, which opened in 2012. It乌鸦传媒檚 an issue he brought up in the Legislature in April, but added he has had no formal response from the health minister as to why the space is not being used.
乌鸦传媒淲e don乌鸦传媒檛 have a capacity problem 乌鸦传媒� we have a crisis of political leadership by a government that doesn乌鸦传媒檛 seem to care about our region because we don乌鸦传媒檛 elect New Democrats,乌鸦传媒� Dew added.
The town hall will run from 5 to 7 p.m. at a location to be announced. Organizers say it will go ahead with or without the minister. Registration is now open through .
