Fort St. John, BC Regional District Responds to Hospital ClosuresFort St. John, BC Regional District Responds to Hospital Closures In a meeting on July 18, the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) in Fort St. John, BC, addressed the alarming issue of frequent hospital closures in the region. Growing Concerns and Frustration “We’ve been dealing with this for years,” said Board Chairman Brad Sperling, expressing frustration with the ongoing closures. He emphasized the dire consequences of having multiple major emergency departments closed simultaneously. At a meeting held at the Pomeroy Hotel and Conference Centre, angry residents voiced their concerns and demanded accountability. They demanded that tax dollars be withheld until the closures are resolved. Board’s Actions The PRRD Board unanimously agreed to send letters to various government officials, including Premier David Eby, Health Minister Adrian Dix, and local MPs. The letters will request: * An audit of Northern Health’s financial, operational, and workplace health practices * A meeting with Northern Health CEO Ciro Panessa to discuss closures and strategic plans Demand for Immediate Action Director Darryl Krakowka suggested sending weekly letters until the board receives a response. He also proposed calling an emergency meeting to discuss the situation further. The Board expressed hope to have an open discussion with Northern Health about operations, closures, and plans to prevent future incidents. Call for Transparency and Accountability The residents and Board members called for transparency and accountability from Northern Health. They demanded answers and solutions to address the systemic problem of hospital closures, both in the region and across the province.
Pomeroy Hotel and Conference Center. (Facebook)
FORT ST. JOHN, BC — During its regular meeting on July 18 in Fort St. John, the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) agreed to send letters regarding the many hospital closures in the region.
“We’ve been dealing with this for years,” said Board Chairman Brad Sperling. “When four of the largest emergency departments in this regional district are closed on the same day, where do we go? It’s sad.”
At the Pomeroy Hotel and Conference Centre, board members voiced their concerns, hearing from angry residents who demanded that tax dollars be withheld until the closures are addressed.
“We were all affected by it; one diversion is one too many, but four diversions in one day, that’s not a diversion, that’s a collapse,” said Sperling.
Jordan Kealy pointed out that it’s one thing if Fort St. John Hospital is closed and people can go to Dawson Creek, but it’s another thing if Fort Nelson is diverted because the nearest hospital is hours away.
“This is a systemic problem not just in this region, but across the province,” Kealy said.
The Board has agreed to send a letter requesting an audit of Northern Health’s financial, operational and workplace health.
The letter will be sent to British Columbia Premier David Eby, British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix, Peace River MPs Dan Davies and Mike Bernier, and the presidents of the Union of BC Municipalities and the North Central Local Government Association.
Director Darryl Krakowka suggested sending letters weekly until they received a response.
The Board also invited Ciro Panessa, CEO of Northern Health, to a future meeting of the PRRD Committee as soon as possible.
Krakowka said the CEO should be appointed as soon as possible and that the board could call an emergency meeting if necessary.
The board hopes to have an open discussion about operations, facility diversions, restrictions, protocols and strategic plans to address and prevent diversions from occurring.
