The Campbell government refused to provide assurances that the Princeton Hospital’s emergency room will remain open after Yale-Lillooet MLA Harry Lali raised the issue in question period in the legislature today. Harry Lali  

“A severe nursing and doctor shortage is threatening the existence of emergency services in Princeton,” Lali said after question period. “I asked the Health Minister for a straight-forward assurance that he wouldn’t allow the emergency room to close, but he refused to answer. 

“Instead, we got more arrogance and rhetoric from the same uncaring Liberal government that literally said ‘boo hoo’ when we raised issues of rural concerns last week,” said Lali. 

Lali said the Campbell Liberals previously down-sized health services at Princeton hospital by closing operating rooms and moving surgeries to Penticton, Kamloops and Kelowna. Since then, frustrated doctors have had no incentive to stay. Two locums have left, one doctor will retire in May and two others will also be leaving the community.  

Lali insists the inability of the Campbell government to properly fund hospitals has contributed to the problem of retaining and attracting doctors for small, rural communities.  

Today in question period, Lali quoted from a story in the Similkameen Spotlight to the health minister that “with the back-ups in that ER, any Princeton resident with a major emergency could face the possibility of a long wait time, being turned away, or worse – death.” 

Lali asked Minister Abbott why the Campbell Liberals have abandoned Princeton by under-funding staffing levels, and asked the Minister to commit to keeping the emergency room open in Princeton. 

“Removing valuable opportunities for doctors to maintain their competencies in surgery and emergency room practice contributes to community physicians leaving and to our ability to attract replacements,” said Lali. “Gordon Campbell has mismanaged the delivery of health care in rural areas.”  

Complete transcripts from Question Period are available upon request or can be downloaded at:  http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/8-8.htm

Harry Lali

Fraser-Nicola

Harry Lali served as Minister of Transportation and Highways from February, 1998, to February, 2001.