Who's Driving The Bus?

by W. George Elliott

Owner/Publisher

Similkameen News Leader, Princeton BC

Published August 21, 2012

Copyright Bengel Publishing Inc.

The ER situation at Princeton hospital has been the major issue of note for the past several weeks/months. It was acknowledged as such during the recent election campaign and will likely become the focus of the ‘new’ Town Council as it was for the ‘old’ Town Council prior to this month’s election.

The recent public meeting to review progress to date (and to clear the air of some nagging rumours) revealed some very interesting information. Everyone on this side of the table is facing the same direction when it comes to restoring 24/7 ER coverage at PGH. When I say everyone I’m including elected officials, business and industry representatives, advocacy

groups, area residents and the doctors.

With the doctors onside you know you’ve done something pretty significant and yet IHA (the people on the other side of the table) appears to keep enforcing the moving roadblocks placed by the Ministry of Health.

The public meeting stated clearly that IHA is not the ‘bad guy’ in this situation as bureaucracy bogs them down. That tells me that the policy makers are the problem and I still don’t totally buy that IHA (forced to follow the policies) can’t find ways to better support rural healthcare.

My gut feeling is that IHA (and the Ministry) did not expect a fight from area residents when they started to make deeper cuts to local healthcare services. They first chose to ignore it thinking that possibly we were going to give up or that maybe we were reacting out of anger and that it would eventually fizzle out.

I think that the powerful force put together by SOHC and SOS, which includes the groups I mentioned above sitting on one side of the table (and doctors!) threw them off slightly.

The moving roadblocks tell me that the Ministry is not prepared to admit there is something wrong with centralization of health services and rather than righting that mistake they keep trying to add to the degree of difficulty in completing that task (in this case, a mountain of paperwork and organizing taken care of by local volunteers) with hopes we will eventually give up and walk away.

I think that is the most insanely stupid way to resolve an issue. Typically, if someone points out you’ve done something wrong you own up to it, apologize and either try something else or try to incorporate the suggestions of those who corrected you in order to keep everyone happy. IHA is stuck in the sandbox built by the Ministry of Health. Princeton is in a sandbox monitored by IHA, who keeps taking away our toys because the Ministry tells them to.

It doesn’t take long to figure out who the bully is. I just wonder how much longer the bullying will continue before someone steps in and scolds the Ministry for their actions because until then none of us will be able to get along in the sandbox.