British Columbia is experiencing a healthcare crisis in every corner of the province, but it is even more acute here in our in rural communities. The everyday realities of rural residents continue to be overlooked.
For instance, rural B.C. continues to experience severe service interruptions. Recent years have seen an explosion of overnight ER closures in communities here in of Cariboo-Chilcotin, and across B.C.
And even if rural residents are able to access emergency care, the conditions in hospitals in our region are often unacceptable to say the least.
For instance, my now-deceased constituent Lee Butler’s experience constitutes a horror story of severe neglect and deplorable conditions. Lee was left in a hospital bed with his legs hanging over the rails to avoid laying in his own filth and soiled sheets.
Wyn Parry, another of my constituents admitted to Cariboo Memorial Hospital in January, had a similar experience. He suffered from an array of neglectful incidents, including being forced to sit in his own excrement, being denied a shower for weeks, and having his food, mask, and hospital gown all covered in blood, among other issues.
These are just two, amongst a litany of devastating examples that BC United has been raising for years in the Legislature and beyond.
How many more stories of neglect and deplorable conditions in hospitals in rural B.C., like Lee’s or Wyn’s, do we need to hear before something changes?
None of this is the fault of nurses or doctors who are working hard but struggling to provide care under a crumbling healthcare system. Rural healthcare workers are severely burnt out. They are exhausted, because the status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable.
It is time to start prioritizing the healthcare needs of rural British Columbians.
When dealing with life-or-death issues like these, the stakes could not be higher.
The time for lifesaving action is long overdue.
