Tumbler Ridge mayor condemns on-call hours reduction at health centre

TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C. — To say Tumbler Ridge’s mayor is displeased with the decision regarding on-call hours at the district’s health centre is an understatement.

On Thursday, Energeticcity.ca reported Northern Health is reducing on-call hours for the Tumbler Ridge Health Centre, so the service is only available from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. Its emergency department’s (ED) regular hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. will be unaffected.

Northern Health said in Thursday’s statement it will allow for “less potential for weekday interruptions due to having been called out for after-hours coverage needs,” and BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) will provide more ambulance coverage. 

Prior to this, on-call coverage was available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the district. However, Eryn Collins said service interruptions at the centre happened when there were “no on-call staff” near or within the community.

Mayor Darryl Krakowka posted to Facebook on Thursday evening about the situation

“A second full-time ambulance in Tumbler Ridge and an ACP [advanced care paramedic] ambulance in Dawson Creek isn’t the same as having an emergency dept [sic] in a rural remote community.” 

He also thanked medical staff within the community, said he will “always stand up” to support them and promised a dialogue with Northern Health and Josie Osborne, B.C. health minister, will begin. 

Northern Health’s social media team responded to the mayor’s statement, saying it “appreciate[s] the community’s feedback about the changes to after-hours emergency department on-call coverage” and “will be responding to as many outstanding comments as we can.”

A written statement from the district’s offices posted at 8:40 a.m. on Friday morning to Facebook on behalf of the mayor and council said they “condemn” the decision and are “greatly concerned about the impact” this will have on the community.

“Access to emergency care is not optional in a community like ours – it is an essential service,” reads part of the letter. “Reducing coverage places our community members, visitors and workforce at significant risk.”

Energeticcity.ca has scheduled an interview with Krakowka and will update this story as more information becomes available.

Energeticcity.ca has contacted Northern Health about this story but did not immediately hear back.