New operating rooms at RIH (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

NEW OPERATING ROOMS

‘We are getting ourselves set up for the future’; RIH surgeon excited for new ORs

Jul 20, 2022 | 4:06 PM

KAMLOOPS — Earlier this week, B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix was in Kamloops for the official opening of the new Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Tower. Along with the new building, Minister Dix announced funding for three new operating rooms at Royal Inland Hospital.

Before the tower opened, Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) had nine operating rooms. Following Monday’s announcement from Minister Dix, with one more coming online in August, that total will hit 13. It’s expected that the new ORs at the hospital will increase operating room hours by 5,400 hours or 3,240 procedures every year.

“When you consider the fact that we had nine ORs traditionally here, an addition of four is a significant increase in our operating room resources — this is quite phenomenal. I’ve been in a variety of different institutions over the years, and this is one of the biggest surgical expansions that I’ve ever encountered,” said Orthopedic Surgeon Tyler MacGregor.

Despite the excitement for the new rooms, questions have been raised if there will be enough nurses to staff them.

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“There are challenges, but the addition of the new ORs of the new tower is going to help us recruit people in now. People want to work in a new and exciting and progressive environment,” added MacGregor.

Nursing shortages are being felt across Canada, and across specialties, like those trained for operating rooms. While programs are being offered for nurses to upgrade, the union notes it can be a viscous cycle.

“Even if you have that opportunity to get that additional specialty education. Often we find that you are still being redeployed or moved back to your regular position because we can’t staff those,” said Scott Duvall, BCNU Regional Chair.

To combat the shortage, the province has recently announced more training seats at nursing colleges — but Duvall wonders if there will be anybody to teach them.

“There doesn’t seem to be a commensurate infrastructure to support these things. If we consider the new nursing seats, do we have the appropriate amount of instructors? Do we have clinical placements for these students?” said Duvall.

Along with needing staff, the new operating rooms will require new equipment which is also expected to be slowed by supply chain shortages across the world. Despite all that, Dr. MacGregor is excited about the direction of the hospital.

“We are getting ourselves set up for the future. We are getting set up to provide good, quality care moving forward. The addition of the three new ORs, the Gaglardi Tower expansion already is going to provide us the foundation to build on. We need to continue to build on that foundation,” stated MacGregor.

The three new ORs will not all come online at the same time, with the first hopefully begin operating in six months time, with the others following at six-month intervals.

“That gives us the buffer zone to be able to recruit staff, adjust within the institution itself. And to not overload anybody, or service or department while still being able to onboard these ORs,” said MacGregor.