There's a decidedly unhealthy air
emitting from the beautiful British Columbia coast.
In late January, Gordon Campbell's Liberal government
looked to be facing a health authority mutiny when it
announced its healthcare budget for the year. Although
the budget included a 6.3% funding increase for the
beleaguered authorities, the people running them cried
foul, saying the hike simply isn't enough.
Health Minister George Abbott responded
by firing Trevor Johnstone, chair of the Vancouver Coastal
Health Authority. "We were disappointed by the lack
of progress on the budget," said Minister Abbott. The
troubled region was facing a $40 million shortfall by
March, citing extra expenses like research and caring
for the sickest patients from all over the province.
After fruitless attempts to squeeze more cash out of
the government, Mr Johnstone said the only option he
had was to close emergency departments and cancel surgeries.
Predictably the move met with protest from local residents
and Mr Johnstone paid with his job.
But Premier Campbell and Minister
Abbott's troubles weren't over yet. Within 48 hours
the chair of Fraser Health Authority, Keith Purchase,
had resigned in protest of both the firing of his colleague
and what he deems a meagre funding boost his authority
is slated to receive for 2007. Mr Purchase says the
7.1% increase just won't cut it.
On January 30, the deputy chief
of surgery at Fraser's largest hospital, the Royal Columbian,
backed Mr Purchase's claims up with some disturbing
facts. Overcrowding has become so bad that patients
are being forced to sleep in closets. "There are patients
that are literally in closets. They're in the nurses'
lounge, where the nurses go to have coffee, there are
patients in there," Dr Bertrand Perey told the CBC,
adding he's pretty sure the new budget allocation won't
fix the problem. Fraser Health Authority estimates the
bed shortfall in the region to be about 200 acute care
beds. For more on hospital funding, please see "Experts
duke it out over how to fund our hospitals".
|
