By Two & Out

PETERS: Interior Health should take responsibility for maternity snafu at Williams Lake hospital

Mar 1, 2019 | 11:33 AM

FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE are settling in the towns where they grew up nowadays.

And when they look for a place to live long term — maybe start a family — they will choose a community not only based on employment, but based on a wide variety of other factors.

One of those most definitely is access to basic health care, such as maternity care.

That’s why dozens of families in the Cariboo have every right to experience a wide range of emotions in response to an Interior Health announcement this week.

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IH says basic maternity care won’t be available at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake, probably until the end of June.

They don’t have enough maternity nurses.

It’s likely one or more of the nurses left or was for some reason unavailable, and there wasn’t anyone else to step in.

This will impact an estimated 30 expectant mothers per month, or an average of one every day.

Imagine being pregnant and assuming you will give birth at the hospital in your own community, or the community just down the road.

Now imagine that security being taken away.

Having a baby can be frightening and unpredictable enough without being told you have to travel three hours down the road to receive necessary care.

Those expectant mothers have little to do but simply accept the situation and try to make the best of it.

But Interior Health, an organization that gets let off the hook far too often, can’t avoid the crosshairs here.

IH should have been more prepared for this scenario.

If you’re going to run a reputable hospital to serves thousands and thousands of people in a community and surrounding area, you should be able to ensure basic services for basic medical events.

Childbirth is one of those basic medical events.

If you can’t, you’ll find the community of Williams Lake will shrink quickly, losing young couples and families first.

That’s a nightmare scenario for the community, and one that Interior Health needs to take responsibility for.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.