File photo (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

MERRITT ER CLOSURES

‘Ultimately up to the ministry of health to fix this’; Hospital District back Merritt’s fight for reliable ER service

Mar 22, 2024 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — In the calendar year of 2023, the emergency room at the Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt was closed 19 times. The closures were due to insufficient doctor or nursing levels to operate the ER and resulted in patients needing to access emergency care in Kamloops.

It was a promise to his community, and Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz made sure to fulfil on Thursday (Mar. 21) in Kamloops, asking for his money back on hospital service the city didn’t receive. While he admitted the board wasn’t the right place, it was his only option for recourse.

“If I just decided not to pay it on the $650,000 it would have been a $65,000 fine to try and get $34,000,” Goetz told CFJC Today. “And I also promised my community I wouldn’t harm them in any way either. If you want to call this a stunt, go ahead and call this a stunt, but it is the next step in trying to get our hospital, and every hospital open.”

While his motion was not passed by the board, the district did vote to fully back Mayor Goetz in his fight to ensure the crucial hospital at the confluence of two busy highways stays open.

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“Mayor (Barbara) Roden (Village of Ashcroft) has dealt with this, Mayor (Merlin) Blackwell (District of Clearwater) has dealt with this, a lot of the EA (Electoral Area) Directors – their people have dealt with this. It’s nice to have the push behind, being an election year maybe we will get more of an ear. Of course it’s gratifying to have this group stand behind,” said Goetz.

Hospital District Chair, Mike O’Reilly, who was re-elected earlier in the meeting, was supportive of Goetz’ plea and was happy to see the board support him in the only way they could.

“We are not able to do that through the hospital act, we are not able to give money towards operations,” O’Reilly explained. “But I think what came out of it was we want to make a solid effort as a team to work with the provincial government to chance that, and is there avenues to change. And advocating on behalf of the entire board.”

The Nicola Valley Hospital has already been down twice in 2024, keeping it on the same track as last year when they hit 19. For Goetz, his fight is with province and the ministry.

“I know they are working on doctor retention and nurse retention, I know they are. I know the doctors and nurses go the extra mile to keep us open and I know they do. Not only for us but for them and Royal Inland Hospital that gets overloaded the minute that we go down, we need a solution here and that is ultimately up to the Ministry of Health to fix this,” said Goetz.

With the original motion being defeated, Goetz will be forwarding the $33,000 request to the ministry, along with approximately $55,000 more for Merritt Fire and Rescue being called out to medical calls when the hospital goes down and BC Ambulance is busy transporting patients to Kamloops.