As of last week, all seven obstetricians and gynecologists at the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops—an interior B.C. This decision has created a dire shortage of specialists in maternity care in the region. This unprecedented situation has led most expectant mothers to avoid the hospital at all costs. It further reduces their access to needed care as the facility is hamstrung by acute staffing shortages. Resignations will continue to stagger over the next few months. This would lead to an increased dependence on costly temporary substitutes.
The resignations demonstrate just how unbearable the working conditions have become for the specialists who provide maternity care in British Columbia. Charlene Lui, president of Doctors of B.C., sounded the alarm on the collapsing state of our healthcare system. She shared her honest perspective on how difficult working conditions have gotten in the field. Even as the situation continues to develop, it calls for an immediate look into the long-term viability of maternity services throughout the entirety of our province.
Impacts on Expectant Mothers
Royal Inland Hospital has struggled with availability of maternity care since this past summer. In July, they showed us the depths of a dangerous lack of specialists. If so, the entire range of OBGYNs has quit overnight, leaving expectant mothers in an immediate bind. They can’t make informed choices about where they need to go for essential specialty care or they’ll be hit with replacement service expenses of $7,100 a day.
According to a joint statement from the resigning physicians, “It is fairly unprecedented for an entire group of physicians to depart, but with the state of obstetrics in our community and with the upcoming loss of the Thompson Region Family Obstetrics group, we see no viable way forward.” This heartbreaking reality underscores the critical need for bold, swift action to address the widening chasm in our maternity care.
“Always has, always will,” the hospital said, vowing that it would continue serving expectant mothers. Resolved complaints won’t get addressed one-by-one as they come in. That transition to address this shortage will not happen nearly as fast. Physicians will hardly have the full 90 days necessary to stop their practice mãos mortos.
Challenges Across British Columbia
Kamloops has now become a case study in the challenges many communities face in accessing safe, reliable maternity care. Other areas, including Kelowna and Prince George, have experienced ongoing crises with staffing as well. Since July, the maternity ward at University Hospital of Northern BC in Prince George has repeatedly restricted its operations. This reduction has been primarily due to persistent staffing shortages. This larger trend speaks to a deeper, systemic issue that is impacting women’s health services across British Columbia.
Josie Osborne, an official with Interior Health, highlighted efforts to remedy the situation, noting, “Over the past several months, Interior Health has identified more than a dozen qualified candidates, and that will really help strengthen their obstetrics and gynecology physician capacity.” These recruitment efforts are extremely important to maintaining maternity services in every corner of the province.
The Need for Systemic Change
Our health authorities and provincial policymakers should respond to the current crisis and treat this crisis as a wake-up call. Drs. Hilary Baikie, Jennifer Kozic, Paula Lott, Erin Adams, Michael Hsiao, Rita Chuang, and Christine Sutton expressed their dismay, stating, “We are saddened by the lack of support for women’s health provincially and devastated that we have come to this point in Kamloops.” They wish that this virtual collapse of obstetric services will sound alarm bells with their provincial/territorial authorities.
Osborne mentioned ongoing efforts to improve working conditions for OBGYNs: “We’re in the process of finalizing a new contract offer that will significantly increase compensation to better support workloads, improve recruitment and retention.” These are the kind of measures that help recruit new specialists and keep current ones, operating in a tough environment.
