Cuts coming to health services, Macdonald says

By CAROLYN GRANT

Kimberley Daily Bulletin

Friday, July 17, 2009

Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald is hopping mad about the deficits being reported by all health authorities in the province.  He’s not so much irked by the deficits – the NDP had been saying all along that there would be deficits for health authorities, he said.  He’s irked by the fact that the Liberals didn’t talk about the deficits during the election campaign.

“During the election, the government talked about protecting health care.  They said it was not the case that health authorities were keeping deficits hidden.  It is the case.  The Fraser Health Authority deficit is between $100 and $160 million.  Vancouver Island is $60 million.  Interior Health is $30 million.  All health authorities are in deficit.  What has become clear is for the past number of months we haven’t believed their numbers.  Because there had to be increases.  There are wage increases coming for doctors and nurses and other cost pressures that meant that there wouldn’t be enough money for what remains of the fiscal year.

“Interior Health has been instructed to make cuts.”

Macdonald says that letters were sent to health authorities from the health ministry telling them to make cuts.

He says from what he hears, Interior Health will combine the administrative functions of the East and West Kootenays as one way to save.

“The real cuts will come in elective surgeries and we will have to watch lab services as well,” Macdonald said.  “It will be acute care cuts.  Waiting list will increase.

“This is information is in contrast directly with what they were saying during the election.  It’s information that should have been provided prior to the election.

“You have a process that’s in shambles.  They knew this was coming and they did nothing to deal with it and now they will rush to make changes in a thoughtless way.

“The BC Liberals created the health authority model.  They appointed the staff and board, allowing no real participation from the public.  They set the budgets and approved the plans.  It’s their failure.”

Macdonald also says that the new health minister Kevin Falcon has ‘mused about private health care’.

“There is absolutely no mandate for that.

“When we said during the election campaign that the numbers were not right, they said we were fear mongers.  Now it’s summer, everyone is busy and they release the numbers.”

The Townsman/Bulletin has contacted Interior Health for comment but at press time had not heard from them.