Kamloops mayor Hamer-Jackson calls on provincial leaders to spend time at Royal Inland Hospital

A simple, direct invitation from the Mayor of Kamloops to those in the position to bring about change in the healthcare system.

“I really believe that we need to get David Eby and maybe (Health) Minister (Josie) Osborne, she’s a really nice lady I’ve met her before, to come up and spend a week in the hospital in a room with four people,” added Hamer-Jackson.

That offer was made as the BC Nurses Union began job action in an attempt to secure a new collective agreement.

“If we are put in a position of withdrawing labour, yes essential services will be maintained but that will still have impact on healthcare in this province,” said BCNU president Adriane Gear.

Hamer-Jackson said seeing the inner workings at Royal Inland Hospital over the past few weeks was paramount in helping him fully understand the issues.

“It didn’t shift my thought, I just didn’t know how bad it was,” said Hamer-Jackson. “You see these mayors from all over around our area with all these closures and stuff. It’s just unbelievable what they are putting our nurses under, the pressure you know, they are so short staffed.”

“The staff is so awesome – the nurses, the doctors, the support staff – everybody is awesome but it’s the system.”

As a provincial responsibility with federal funding, health care is not in the purview of municipal government. Hamer-Jackson said it feels like the Interior can sometimes be forgotten down in Victoria.

“People say don’t get outside your lane, but no these are our citizens, these are our nurses, these are our doctors, our support staff,” the mayor added. “And I think we’ve really got to challenge the provincial government to step up to the plate and not just for Kamloops.”

by Michael Reeve

Kamloops mayor Hamer-Jackson calls on provincial leaders to spend time at Royal Inland Hospital

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