Latest news with #KelownaGeneralHospital
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Ob-gyns pen letter warning of 'unsafe' maternity conditions at Kelowna General Hospital
Days after Interior Health announced the pediatric unit at Kelowna General Hospital would be closed for at least six weeks due to staffing shortages, a group of ob-gyn doctors are now warning the maternity ward is on the verge of collapse this weekend for the same reason. CBC's Michelle Morton has more.
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Kelowna General Hospital's maternity ward faces crisis
Vancouver Watch OB/GYNs say a lack of family physicians at Kelowna General Hospital's maternity ward heightens the risk of pregnant patients being without adequate care.
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
OB/GYNs warn of looming crisis in maternity ward at Kelowna General Hospital
Nine doctors who work in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Kelowna General Hospital are warning because of a lack of family physicians who can deliver babies, the region faces the collapse of primary maternity care coverage as early as June 1. In a news release, the nine OB/GYNs, who provide specialized care for high-risk pregnancies and emergency services at the hospital, say they're also being asked to cover low-risk labour deliveries, which are normally covered by family doctors and midwives. 'If a low-risk patient is delivering and something high-risk or emergency comes along where the obstetrician is urgently needed, they can't be in two places at once. So it causes some serious concerns around delivering quality patient care and safety,' said Dr. Charlene Lui, the president of Doctors of B.C. The news release says it puts the OB/GYNs in a position where they will have to choose which patient to care for first, which could result in permanent harm to mother or baby. 'These doctors are sounding the alarm because somebody is going to get hurt, somebody is going to die,' said Gavin Dew, the B.C. Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission. 'It has gone on for far too long. These smart, talented and trained frontline professionals have not been heard.' The warning about a looming crisis in the maternity ward at Kelowna General comes on the heels of the pediatric unit announcing it will close for six weeks because of a shortage of pediatricians. 'Kelowna at the moment is really seeing some enhanced challenges compared to other regions of the province and the country,' said Lui. 'This is in every parent WhatsApp group in Kelowna and in the Okanagan. Everyone is talking about this, everyone is scared by this, everyone is angry about this,' said Dew. 'We obviously need appropriate staffing levels. We obviously need operational changes. But the most important thing that needs to happen is that government needs to start listening to the frontline medical professionals who are the boots on the ground dealing with this crisis,' he added. 'We do have concerns that Interior Health is downplaying how serious these issues are and how they can negatively affect patients in the community and the physicians working in the hospital,' said Lui. CTV News reached out to Interior Health for comment but did not hear back by deadline. This article will be updated if a response is received.
CTV News
22-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Health care shortage hits Kelowna
Health care shortage hits Kelowna Kelowna General Hospital is being forced to shut down its general pediatrics unit.
CTV News
22-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
B.C. Interior hospital shuttering pediatric ward for 6 weeks due to ‘limited physician availability'
Kelowna General Hospital is seen in this file photo. (CTV) A major hospital in B.C.'s Interior is shutting down its general pediatrics unit for 'at least six weeks' starting on Monday. The 10-bed inpatient unit at Kelowna General Hospital will close May 26 'due to limited physician availability,' said Dr. Hussam Azzam, Interior Health's executive medical director of community and maternity, in a statement Wednesday night. The change is intended to be temporary and to 'help address gaps in scheduling,' Azzam said. 'For patient safety, IH will be proceeding with a service disruption to the 10-bed inpatient general pediatrics unit starting May 26 and continuing for at least six weeks,' the statement reads. 'We are reallocating current pediatricians to support the neonatal intensive care unit and high-risk deliveries.' All critical care services for children will remain open during the closure, according to Azzam. That includes the emergency department and the neonatal intensive care unit. The service interruption only affects children who would – under normal circumstances – be admitted to the general pediatric unit. 'Individuals requiring care for a child should still visit Kelowna General Hospital, where they will be assessed by an emergency room physician,' Azzam said. 'We appreciate this temporary change is concerning and want to assure parents and patients that this difficult decision was made to support appropriate and safe care for all pediatric patients.' Azzam said Interior Health is working with local physicians and community partners to recruit additional pediatricians to Kelowna, with recruiting efforts happening through both 'national and international channels.' 'We have incentives in place for locum (visiting specialists) and for permanent positions at KGH and are looking at additional changes to current compensation models to make positions in Kelowna more attractive to interested pediatricians,' Azzam's statement reads. 'There is one new pediatrician starting this summer.'
