B.C. health minister under fire over mass resignation of Kamloops ob-gyns

B.C.'s health minister is under fire over what's being described as a maternity crisis in the province, following the mass resignation of a group of obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) and a letter signed by more than 100 fellow doctors in support of them.

Seven ob-gyns at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops announced on Oct. 11 that they would no longer provide in-hospital care during labour, delivery and caesarian sections once replacements for them are found, citing "extreme physician burnout" among their reasons.

Following the announcement, the vice-president and former president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of B.C. released a letter expressing support for the resigning doctors.

Addressed to the health minister and Interior Health CEO, the letter described "years" of advocacy for better access to care and warnings of a "looming maternity crisis" being ignored and dismissed.

It was signed by around 130 ob-gyns.

During question period on Monday, Conservative member and Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar asked Health Minister Josie Osborne for the province's plan in response to the resignations.

Osborne said Interior Health is working with the physicians on a "transition plan" and continues to recruit doctors, including 12 potential new hires from other jurisdictions.

She also reassured people who are expecting to give birth soon, and those facing a high-risk pregnancy, that they will still receive care at Royal Inland Hospital.

WATCH | Pregnant Kamloops woman worries what resignations will mean for her:

A pregnant B.C. woman who lives outside Kamloops, B.C., says she's left wondering what's next for her care after all obstetrician-gynecologists at Royal Inland Hospital jointly announced they plan to resign.

But in their letter, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of B.C. criticize the province's plans to recruit a dozen new ob-gyns as "unrealistic," and call its reliance on locum physicians — doctors who temporarily fill in for other doctors — "short-sighted."

"There are serious concerns about who will supervise and support these new recruits ... in an already strained environment. The use of these short term stop gaps rather than negotiating fairly with the current OBGYN group has not gone unnoticed," the letter reads.

"We will not be participating in these temporary coverage plans or in the supervision of new hires under these conditions," the letter adds, urging the health ministry to find a "sustainable solution."

During question period, Osborne reiterated that she expects Interior Health to work with the physicians who have resigned, and to listen to their concerns.

"Those negotiations take place at a table, not here in this House, not during question period," she said.

"The priority must always be the patients, the families, the people," she added. "It is my expectation of these physicians, it is my expectation of Interior Health that they will come together to talk through these issues, to undertake the negotiations that are underway right now, holding the patient at the centre of the work they do."

Osborne acknowledged the shortage of doctors in the province, and noted the opening of a new medical school in Surrey, as well as the streamlining of credentials for doctors from other jurisdictions.

Interior Health has said that the door remains open for the resigning doctors to stay.

In an Oct. 20 statement, Mark Masterson, vice-president of medicine with Interior Health, said the physicians rejected the Ministry of Health's offer of a 25 per cent compensation increase before they resigned, but that the offer remains on the table.

"We would welcome the opportunity to bring the interested physicians back to serve patients at Royal Inland Hospital," Masterson said in the statement.

In a statement from the Conservative Party of B.C. on Monday, opposition health critic Anna Kindy said, “We’re seeing a domino effect of healthcare services collapsing, and a government pretending it’s fine.... Burnout, staff shortages, unsustainable workloads, and bureaucratic mismanagement are pushing OB-GYNs to the brink."

More than 200 people attended a rally in Kamloops over the weekend organized by the newly-formed Maternity Matters Kamloops — a group of advocates, health-care workers and parents — demanding immediate action from the B.C. government.