Princeton Resident Writes Health Minister

May 26th, 2012
Minister of Health, 
Honourable Michael de Jong 
Room 337, Parliament Buildings 
1515 Blanchard Street 
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Dear Sir,
Recently Princeton Hospital had a visit from Dr. Robert Halpenny, CEO- Interior Health Authority, He spoke with various organizations and business leaders and then addressed citizens of Princeton who were rallying on the road outside the hospital. We were hoping for some solutions to our problems with the closing of the ER four nights per week and the lack of doctors to man the ER.

I was incensed by his attitude towards our situation. He said that we were not the only hospital with problems and that we should make Princeton more attractive if we wanted more doctors to come to our community. How insulting, how uncaring, how offensive to suggest that our community was not attractive enough to warrant 24/7 ER services. What was he thinking?

We live in a area with working mines, lumber mill, ranching and other businesses which work 24 hours a day, not to mention the number three highway which is a main truck route to the southern Okanagan. Mining, lumber and ranching are the basis for the wealth of British Columbia. Apparently it is OK for Princeton to supply these services and contribute to the economy of the province but we do not deserve a fully functional hospital.

I am a member of the Princeton Hospital Auxiliary and we raise funds for the Princeton hospital, the Ridgewood facility for senior residents who require care as welt as the hospital in Penticton. We have a thrift Store to raise funds and the citizens support the auxiliary by donating clothing etc. and shopping in the store. We have contributed nearly $100,000.00 over the past ten years to the Princeton Hospital alone allowing them to obtain essential equipment for the hospital. In other words we do the work which should be done by the government thus saving the government money. We certainly do not deserve to have Dr. Robert Halpenny come to our town and arrogantly and scornfully suggest that we do not deserve emergency services 24/7 or doctors as we are not attractive enough. He is obviously not interested in doing his job of making sure the rural residents of British Columbia's interior have adequate hospital facilities.

The residents of Princeton and area are demanding that Interior Health do their job and hire people with the intelligence and skills as well as forward thinking who can do the job they are hired to do.

Yours sincerely,
Laila Bird, 
PO Box 1117 
Princeton, BC VOX 1WO