Attention Premier Christy Clarke:
You’ve not heard from me to date, but do so now, for I must emphasize as others in our North Kootenay Lake community have already done; namely that your provincial government is not caring for the populace who you were elected to serve.
How? By refusing to consider some crucial facts about our rural situation. Interior Health has stated we’ll lose 24/7 emergency care early in January 2014 since no physicians have been contracted who’ll agree to being on call in addition to working their regular weekday working hours.
We in Kaslo are one hour’s driving time to our nearest hospital — Kootenay Lake Hospital, in Nelson (when roads are clear of ice and snow, during November to March).
Those further up the lake (Lardeau, Cooper Creek, Meadow Creek, Argenta, Johnsons Landing) are another 30 to 60 minutes away from Nelson.
Our regional hospital in Trail is another hour added on to the above times.
I implore you, with your Minister of Health, to consider how reasonable or just it is for those of us living on North Kootenay Lake to be so far away from emergency medical attention unless we need it during regular weekday working hours.
Would you want or have any members of your family live where we do without 24/7 emergency care?
At the end of August this year, my husband needed pain relief two nights in a row after 11 p.m. due to excrutiating pain which over the counter meds were not touching... which he received here from our hospital emergency department with our great gratitude.
A serious accident victim or person requiring immediate medical attention would be out of luck without 24/7 emergency support.
Please explain why you can’t provide such coverage for our community?
Also, why have the recommendations made by Dr. Ross not been considered seriously by your Ministry of Health?
After all, he came, observed, took time to consider with care and medical experience then offered creative solutions to our situation.
Karen Pidcock