CLEARWATER, B.C.: Access to nearby emergency care can mean the difference between life and death.

Repeated emergency room closures at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater are a devastating reminder that the NDP has allowed health care in British Columbia to reach a state of collapse.

Data by Interior Health shows that since July 1, the ER has been closed for 90 hours or the equivalent of 3.75 days, adding up to nearly one third of the time.

“These ER closures are putting people’s lives at risk, and the worst part is they’ve become something people are expected to just accept under the NDP,” said Ward Stamer, MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson. “People in Clearwater shouldn’t have to wonder if their local ER will be open when they need it. A 25-hour closure like the one from July 5 to 6 is completely unacceptable. Emergencies don’t happen on a schedule. When someone is having a heart attack, suffering a serious injury, or facing a medical emergency, they need care right away and not after a long drive to Kamloops or 100 Mile House. People shouldn’t have to check a list or call ahead to find out whether their nearest hospital can help them.”

“The NDP government has failed to properly equip B.C.’s hospitals, and British Columbians are paying the price with worse outcomes and preventable deaths,” said Dr. Anna Kindy, Shadow Minister for Health. “The government had almost ten years to see this healthcare crisis coming and start implementing policies to strengthen our universal healthcare system by training, recruiting, and retaining adequate staff to deliver timely care. The front lines have been raising the alarm for years. You cannot run emergency departments on skeleton staff. If our frontline care providers are not adequately supported, it leads to low morale and burnout. It leads to ER closure and diversion.”

“The NDP is hoping British Columbians will simply accept this as the new normal,” said Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Leader of the Conservative Party of B.C. “It’s completely unacceptable that Clearwater residents have had to deal with a cumulative of 90 hours of ER closures since July 1. There is nothing normal about emergency rooms being closed and British Columbians being left to wonder whether care will be there for themselves and their loved ones when they need it most. These closures are a failure of leadership and British Columbians deserve a government that will take action to restore confidence in our healthcare system.”

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Media Contact:
Nikki Bal
Conservative.Communications@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948