Latest news with #IH
Global News
05-07-2025
- Health
- Global News
Pediatric care in Kelowna lags behind other health jurisdictions: KGH department head
A department head at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) is highlighting what he says are the serious gaps in pediatric health care delivery in the wake of the ongoing pediatric ward closures at the hospital. 'This is an unprecedented situation,' said Dr. Duncan de Souza, head of KGH's anesthesia department. 'We do not know of anything similar that has ever happened in British Columbia, where a major hospital has lost such a key component of its services.' De Souza, who provides care to pediatric patients, spoke at Wednesday's town hall meeting, which was organized in the wake of the pediatric crisis at KGH. He provided comparisons in pediatric services between Interior health (IH) and Vancouver Island Health (VIH) as an example of how much IH is lagging behind. 'Vancouver Island Health Authority has 900,000 people. So does IHA. Victoria is their major referral centre, as is Kelowna and their level of pediatric care is vastly superior to ours,' de Souza told the roughly 100 people in attendance. Story continues below advertisement The advanced pediatric care, as outlined by de Souza, is offered at Victoria General Hospital (VGH). 'They have a higher level newborn ICU. They have a pediatric ICU, which we don't have,' de Souza said. 'They have dedicated services for children in the emergency room. They have a much, much more robust and active pediatric surgical program.' De Souza said he believes the stark difference in pediatric care in the two health authorities boils down to advocacy efforts. 'What we have now is the result of whatever level of advocacy and push for pediatrics that existed in IHA and we see the effects of what's going on now,' de Souza said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy KGH's 10-bed pediatric unit closed on May 26 with the closure now approaching the six-week mark. It's not known when it will re-open. According to IH, 19 pediatric patients who needed a hospital admission had to be transferred to other hospitals across the IH region, including Vernon, Penticton and Kamloops. 2:09 Interior Health executive compensation despite ongoing issues at KGH Pediatricians have been calling for changes to the staffing and health care delivery model for years but they have said their concerns were not taken seriously enough. Story continues below advertisement It prompted many of them to resign from the hospital, leaving KGH with a severe shortage of pediatricians — which resulted in the ward closure. The unit's closure has impacted other departments, including the emergency room (ER). 'We're holding those children in our department for longer,' said Dr. Matthew Petrie, an ER physician. 'If they're sick enough to require transfer right then, that usually means one of our physicians and at least one or two of our nurses are dedicated to dealing with that sick child and that just pulls resources away from a system that's already under-resourced.' De Souza believes a model similar to that in Victoria should be seriously considered. 'When we look for a solution for a sustainable model for Kelowna General and for IHA, we don't have to look far and wide,' de Souza said. 'We only have to look in our own province to find something that works.' The ministry of health stated it is aware of calls for Kelowna to receive services comparable to those in other communities. It added, 'the ministry is currently reviewing a related proposal that was recently submitted from Interior Health.' It's not known, however, what that proposal entails. In an email to Global News, IH cautioned about making comparisons between two health jurisdictions, in this case stating, 'to make a direct comparison of Kelowna to Victoria does not factor in significant differences in geography, transportation routes or population disbursement of these two regions.' Story continues below advertisement IH also stated that population growth in recent years has required the health authority to focus on a review of service delivery models, adding it has expanded the neonatal intensive care unit at KGH. Medical staff on the front lines however, have said a lot more needs to be done to keep up with the growing demand. 'We are at an inflection point. I hope things improve,' de Souza said. 'I hope that we can follow the model that's out there in Victoria for a better level of pediatric care.' 2:42 Health care addressed at Kelowna townhall
Global News
28-06-2025
- Health
- Global News
New measles cases detected in B.C.'s Interior, including airports
British Columbia's Interior Health (IH) has confirmed additional cases of measles in the Interior region. The cases have been identified in Kamloops, Kelowna, Salmon Arm and the Nelson area. IH is directly contacting individuals who may have been exposed as part of routine contact tracing. Anyone who may have been in contact with confirmed cases is urged to monitor for symptoms for up to three weeks after possible exposure. Symptoms typically start with fever, dry cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash a few days later that usually begins on the face and quickly spreads to the rest of the body. There are currently three active cases in the Interior Health region. There have been five so far this year. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Recent exposure locations: Enderby Splatsin Centre – 5767 Old Vernon Rd., anyone who attended the faith-based gathering on June 7 and 8. Flights June 23: WestJet WS320: Fort St. John Airport (YXJ) to Vancouver Airport (YVR) June 23: WestJet WS332: Vancouver Airport (YVR) to Kelowna Airport (YLW); June 25: WestJet WS3540: Kamloops Airport (YKA) to Calgary Airport (YYC) If you develop symptoms, call 811 for guidance. If you require immediate medical care, visit any health-care facility or clinic. Story continues below advertisement According to IH, the risk of infection is extremely low for individuals who have received two doses of the measles vaccine. People who have never had measles or have not received two doses of the vaccine after 12 months of age are considered at risk. Measles vaccines are available at community health centres and many pharmacies—note that some pharmacies may not vaccinate young children, so calling ahead is advised. If you were born in 1970 or later and haven't had two doses of the vaccine, a booster is recommended, especially within three days of exposure. Certain people — such as pregnant individuals, infants under six months, or those with weakened immune systems — should not receive the vaccine but may be eligible for protective medication. If you think you've been exposed and are not fully protected, are immunocompromised, pregnant, or have a child under one year of age, call 1-855-549-6364 and leave a message. The IH communicable disease team will assess your situation and provide recommendations. Exposure locations, including flights, airports, and BC Ferries, are listed on the BC Centre for Disease Control website and updated regularly.
Global News
24-06-2025
- Health
- Global News
Central Okanagan MLAs renew calls for health minister to visit Kelowna hospital amid crisis
B.C.'s health minister is again being called on to visit Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) amid an ongoing pediatric crisis. The calls are being renewed by local Conservative MLAs, Gavin Dew (Kelowna-Mission), Kristina Loewen (Kelowna Centre) and Macklin McCall (West Kelowna-Peachland). 'It is ridiculously irresponsible that this far in the crisis, minister of health Josie Osborne has not yet showed up once,' Dew said. 'She has never set foot in Kelowna General Hospital.' The trio held a news conference outside of KGH Monday afternoon to address the ongoing pediatric ward closure, which has now entered a fifth week. The 10-bed pediatric unit closed on May 26 as Interior Health (IH) struggles to retain an adequate number of pediatricians working at the hospital. IH has said it was a difficult but necessary decision to close the ward for at least six weeks to protect pediatrician coverage for critical services, such as high-risk deliveries. Story continues below advertisement 2:01 Kelowna General Hospital pediatrics ward closure update All three MLAs told reporters they are being inundated with messages from concerned constituents. 'Our MLA office emails are lighting up,' Loewen said. 'It's constant, it's the number one issue right now.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Macklin added he's even hearing from people outside of the Okanagan Valley. 'I've even had conversations with people that tell me this hospital will take people from as far as a way as you know, the East Kootenays,' Macklin said. 'I mean, this is a major hospital for British Columbia.' 3:18 Kelowna General Hospital pediatric unit's troubled history When the opposition party first called on Osborne to visit KGH and frontline staff last week, the minister stated 'politicizing this issue was not constructive.' Story continues below advertisement At Monday's news conference, Macklin fired back. 'The response from the ministry is just, 'oh, well, it's political.' So what does that mean? They don't want to talk about it,' Macklin asked. 'We're working for our constituents. We're working for the public and I think perhaps the NDP government are losing that view that it's about the people. It's not about us. It's not about party lines.' Osborne has not yet committed to a visit to the hospital. 'I'm certainly open to that and will be making the best decisions about timing and when to do that,' Osborne told Global News on June 18. Dew said if a crisis isn't enough to get the minister here, he doesn't know what is. 'The minister says she'll come here when the time is right, the right time was yesterday,' Dew said. A number of doctors have expressed to Global News they would welcome a visit from Osborne. 2:09 Interior Health executive compensation despite ongoing issues at KGH Global News reached out to the ministry Monday for an update on a potential visit, but a spokesperson followed up, asking, 'Wondering if you can share with us what groups of doctors are asking for the Minister to talk to them?' Story continues below advertisement Dew said the ministry should be focusing on the crisis itself and not which doctors would welcome a visit from the minister. 'This is absolutely ridiculous and absurd for the ministry to be more focused on hunting down the doctors who are speaking up than actually rebuilding confidence and trust with them,' Dew said. Pediatricians have long called for changes to the current staffing model that often has one pediatrician on shift at a time. Felling unheard over the years, many have resigned from the hospital, which has now resulted in the current crisis. IH said last week it hopes to reopen the pediatric ward as soon as it is safe and feasible to do so but won't say when that will be. The health authority said one pediatrician is starting work at the hospital this summer with two more in September, adding that those extra resources will help build towards the ward reopening.
Global News
21-06-2025
- Health
- Global News
Interior Health won't rule out pediatrics closure extension
What was supposed to be a six-week closure of the pediatric ward at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) will likely extend beyond that. 'The service interruption itself is really stressful for parents but the uncertainty is even more frustrating,' said Gavin Dew, Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission. With the closure of the 10-bed unit now in its fourth week, Interior Health (IH) is still unable to say when it will reopen. In a statement to Global News, IH CEO Susan Brown stated, 'Interior Health leadership is fully committed to restoring full services and the entire team at Kelowna General Hospital are committed to addressing the current challenges and reopening the unit as quickly as possible.' Brown went on to say that reopening will happen as soon as it is safe and feasible but stopped short of providing a more concrete timeline other than stating, 'to build towards reopening, one new pediatrician is starting this summer with two more joining in September.' Story continues below advertisement 3:18 Kelowna General Hospital pediatric unit's troubled history The ward closed on May 26 so that the few pediatricians left working at the hospital would be available to cover critical services, such as high-risk deliveries. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Since the ward's closure, 14 young patients have needed a hospital admission and had to be transferred to other hospitals. Five of those patients were transferred to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, nearly 170 km away. The other transfers involved hospitals in Vernon and Penticton. 'That's just not acceptable especially for how fast and big Kelowna is growing to not have that for people,' said Brent Watson, a Kelowna father of two young children. 'I just can't get my head wrapped around it.' Story continues below advertisement KGH doctors have gone public in recent weeks, claiming the current crisis is the result of an inadequate staffing model that often has one pediatrician on shift and makes it impossible to properly care for all the children needing their attention. However, they say the calls for change were ignored for years and prompted specialists to resign. Those resignations culminated in occasional service disruptions and now the lengthy pediatric ward closure. 'Now that they've started speaking out, they've started asking for better,' Dew said. 'I don't think this is going to stop until there's a really serious reset in the system.' That reset many doctors say has to in part involve dual pediatrician coverage 24/7. 2:01 Calls for Interior Health CEO to step down On Friday, Global News asked IH if it will commit to the change. Story continues below advertisement 'We have been moving to that split service delivery model for some time, with contracts, compensation and other solutions in place to support it, with the goal of having pediatricians assigned to both areas, one each at both the NICU and the pediatrics unit,' Brown stated. 'We remain committed to ensure all potential compensation strategies are in place to enable the additional capacity in the pediatrics unit and support a collaborative and sustainable model.' Brown is slated to retire in December. There have been calls from the BC Conservatives to fast-track the leadership transition in order for a new CEO to begin implementing long-term solutions to the crisis.
Global News
21-06-2025
- Health
- Global News
Pediatric ward closure at Kelowna hospital will likely extend beyond 6 weeks
What was supposed to be a six-week closure of the pediatric ward at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) will likely extend beyond that. 'The service interruption itself is really stressful for parents but the uncertainty is even more frustrating,' said Gavin Dew, Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission. With the closure of the 10-bed unit now in its fourth week, Interior Health (IH) is still unable to say when it will reopen. In a statement to Global News, IH CEO Susan Brown stated, 'Interior Health leadership is fully committed to restoring full services and the entire team at Kelowna General Hospital are committed to addressing the current challenges and reopening the unit as quickly as possible.' Brown went on to say that reopening will happen as soon as it is safe and feasible but stopped short of providing a more concrete timeline other than stating, 'to build towards reopening, one new pediatrician is starting this summer with two more joining in September.' Story continues below advertisement 3:18 Kelowna General Hospital pediatric unit's troubled history The ward closed on May 26 so that the few pediatricians left working at the hospital would be available to cover critical services, such as high-risk deliveries. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Since the ward's closure, 14 young patients have needed a hospital admission and had to be transferred to other hospitals. Five of those patients were transferred to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, nearly 170 km away. The other transfers involved hospitals in Vernon and Penticton. 'That's just not acceptable especially for how fast and big Kelowna is growing to not have that for people,' said Brent Watson, a Kelowna father of two young children. 'I just can't get my head wrapped around it.' Story continues below advertisement KGH doctors have gone public in recent weeks, claiming the current crisis is the result of an inadequate staffing model that often has one pediatrician on shift and makes it impossible to properly care for all the children needing their attention. However, they say the calls for change were ignored for years and prompted specialists to resign. Those resignations culminated in occasional service disruptions and now the lengthy pediatric ward closure. 'Now that they've started speaking out, they've started asking for better,' Dew said. 'I don't think this is going to stop until there's a really serious reset in the system.' That reset many doctors say has to in part involve dual pediatrician coverage 24/7. 2:01 Calls for Interior Health CEO to step down On Friday, Global News asked IH if it will commit to the change. Story continues below advertisement 'We have been moving to that split service delivery model for some time, with contracts, compensation and other solutions in place to support it, with the goal of having pediatricians assigned to both areas, one each at both the NICU and the pediatrics unit,' Brown stated. 'We remain committed to ensure all potential compensation strategies are in place to enable the additional capacity in the pediatrics unit and support a collaborative and sustainable model.' Brown is slated to retire in December. There have been calls from the BC Conservatives to fast-track the leadership transition in order for a new CEO to begin implementing long-term solutions to the crisis.
