Dynacare lab closures in Peachland frustrates resident

Fed up with lab closures

Photo: Kathy Michaels

The Dynacare lab in Peachland.

A Peachland resident says he’s getting frustrated with repeated closures of the Dynacare lab in the community.

The lab, which provides blood collection and other healthcare services, was suddenly closed for two days last week as well as three other occasions in recent weeks.

Eric Rowlette says it took him three visits to the lab before he was able to get his blood work done. The first two times he attended, he was greeted with a locked door.

“I’m pretty fed up with large corporations buying up important services companies and then squeezing every bit of profit out of it at the expense of their employees and customers,” he told Castanet.

The Peachland lab and 13 others in the region were sold by locally-owned Valley Medical Laboratories in 2023 to American-owned Dynacare.

Rowlette, who has to visit the lab a few times a year, feels that the reliability of the Peachland location has gotten worse over time.

When he was able to get into the lab on Monday, Rowlette said the backlog of patients appeared to be overwhelming for the small team of staff at the lab.

“Unbelievable pressures on those people,” he said.

Complaints about long waits for service at other Dynacare locations in the Central Okanagan are commonplace on social media. The company has been struggling with staffing amid a shortage of healthcare workers across the country.

In a statement to Castanet News, Dynacare spokesperson Laurie Wilhelm apologized for the inconvenience related to the closed clinic.

She said the Peachland lab was closed due to staff sickness.

“Outside of these unforeseen circumstances, the centre had remained open and serving residents,” she said.

Wilhelm said the closure was noted on Dynacare’s website and a notice was placed on the Peachland lab’s front door, directing visitors to the West Kelowna location.

“In addition, Dynacare notified the Provincial Health Services Authority and Interior Health,” Wilhelm said.

“We look forward to continuing to welcome residents at our Peachland location while supporting the health and well-being of our employees so we can provide reliable, uninterrupted service to the community.”

Patients who rely on the Peachland lab should check Dynacare’s website before attending for any possible closures.

By-appointment lab services are available at Kelowna General Hospital or at the Capri Mall Dynacare location. Appointments, however, are booked weeks in advance.