Deterioration of services

Interior Health can find 15 million dollars for a building in downtown Kelowna. Yet, because of a lack of money, patients in Kelowna and the surrounding areas are losing the only endocrinologist.
 
Dr. H. H. Chirayath, announcing that his service would no longer be available as a result of a lack of resource for diagnosis and treatment from Interior Health, and commensurate with the increased demand. As a result, his patients would be transferred back to their family physician.

Dr. Chirayath is the only specialist for more than 1.1 million people who live in the vast area of British Columbia north of Chilliwack. It is ironic that B.C. Premium for MSP has increased on a regular basis in the past few years, and it is the only province in Canada to charge the equivalent of head-tax-like premium for health care coverage.  Yet, the province, through Interior Health, cannot afford vital patient care service.
 
Also, the Liberal government grabbed more than $1.7 billion in revenue from ICBC and BC Hydro on the heels of rate hikes at both Crown corporations. ICBC raised basic insurance rates by 4.9 per cent in November, and Hydro rates are set to go up 28 per cent over the next five years, adding hundreds of dollars to the annual bills of most British Columbians.
         
With the departure of Dr. Chirayath in June, family physicians would have to refer their patients with endocrine problems to a specialist located in Vancouver, Chilliwack, or Victoria. Waiting time in Kelowna for a patient to see Dr. Chirayath is almost 5 months. Can you imagine how much longer it would take for a family physician to refer patients to one endocrinologist in these three areas? Just think of the added cost to a patient for travel, accommodation, and time!

I have been in Kelowna for 40 years and, as a former Assistant-Director of Nursing and a retired professor of Nursing, I have a good idea of health care. Sadly, the more Kelowna General Hospital grows, with massive amount of money spent on building and middle-management, the worse health care services to the public gets in terms of waiting time for conditions like cataract, hip and knee replacement. Now the departure of a very rare specialist from Kelowna?
 
I have connections with numerous health service providers, from physicians and surgeons, to attendants. They lament the deterioration of services. There is a provincial election coming next year and I plan to publicly hold the government accountable, especially our Okanagan representatives and that includes the Premier.
 
My letter, ‘Is it Interior Health or exterior private health’ was published in the Okanagan Saturday of the Daily Courier (June 20, 2015) and I received personal calls from people, especially seniors, who have been waiting years for the above-mentioned conditions.

Needless to say there was no response from Interior Health or any M.L.A. However, if people are titillated for being milked to death, then voters know who and for what party to vote at next year’s provincial election.

Mo Rajabally