Do we still have a hospital?
Or is it an additional acute care facility to compliment Hardy View Lodge? Or maybe we have been downgraded to a first aid station?
The positive thing about our Boundary Hospital is the nursing staff! They have been as caring and wonderful in recent visits as they were 25 years ago.
Hats off to you guys and girls for putting up with a touch situation.
The staff in emergency only have 12 beds for admission; of course the doctors do the admissions.
No beds means the emergency is where you stay if there are no beds available, unless you’re lucky enough to be put in palliative care or the chemotherapy recliners, or one of the other “specialty rooms” with a bed.
This is unacceptable. We pay taxes! I know health care is a hot button issue but frankly all I want is an available bed in the closest facility. Not a two-hour drive for family friends, and a very expensive ambulance ride.
Step up, Interior Health—we need more beds. Twelve beds is inadequate!
For the population of our region, we need more funding for our beds, our citizens.
The new equipment is lovely but our lives and our good health is more important. I realize the regional hospitals are all at capacity, but we are way beyond that.
They say hindsight is 20/20, well foresight is 100 per cent. So with an open heart to our problems I urge our citizens to pay attention to these issues. Our health care is at risk.
As a senior citizen with too much experience in this area, I ask you with hope for change: make some noise.
This issue is only going to get worse if we don’t act on it now.
Let our new mothers have their babies in the Boundary Hospital close to family and friends, not a two-hour drive to Kelowna, Penticton or Trail. A short labour means Dr. Daddy!
Please help us change it. We need staff and beds available now! To use our new equipment on general population, young and old alike.
I hope my rant has made you think and be aware of our local health crisis and bed shortage!
I submit this letter with love and caring for my friends, neighbours and members of our Boundary community. Please help with community support.
Pat Aitken, Midway