In this edition of Journal, we wade into the morass of headlines about ER closures around our province – Nicola Valley Hospital, Chetwynd Hospital, Dawson Creek and District Hospital, Mackenzie, Fort Nelson, Kitimat, Northern Haida Gwaii – just to name a few.

The worry is that due to the volume of these announcements that we see scrolling across our TV screens every night, we are in danger of becoming numb to the seriousness of this issue – “it’s not my problem, until it is my problem.”

So let’s think about what is actually happening behind the headlines. An elderly man was found on the ground in respiratory distress in front of a closed ER in Merritt. A child in pain from a possible broken wrist finds her ER on diversion and the nearest hospital is more than 100 kilometres away.

ERs are, by definition, for emergencies – which can happen at any time day or night. And unfortunately, so many of these unexpected closures happen in rural areas where options are limited.

I know that government’s response is to quote the number of hires they’ve done but this problem has been a long time in the making and is getting worse, causing the mayor of Merritt to plead with the government: “Do something – anything,” causing the mayor of Massett in Haida Gwaii to speak out in frustration, suggesting if Northern Health can’t provide the service, maybe independent care providers can.

The mayor of Merritt, Michael Goetz, joins me to talk about what it is like on the ground trying to protect his community and cope with closed or “on diversion” ERs.

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Carole Taylor's Journal is a public affairs dialogue that digs deep into the most pressing issues of our times. For more, see our website at http://www.caroletaylorsjournal.ca.

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