A profound health-care crisis in North Vancouver Island is only expected to deepen this fall, according to leaked information from a meeting between doctors in Port Hardy and Island Health.
Port Hardy Hospital is experiencing a critical doctor shortage that is endangering patient and physician safety, according to minutes provided to Canada’s National Observer from an Aug. 17 meeting between a number of the town’s physicians and Island Health.
Six emergency shifts at the hospital remain uncovered in September despite significant efforts by local physicians to secure relief doctors, according to notes from the meeting facilitated by the North Island chapter of the Rural and Remote Division of Family Practice.
In September — due to pending resignations and prolonged vacancies — it’s expected only three doctors will remain working in Port Hardy at the hospital emergency room and the town’s medical clinic, which serve a community of 4,000 residents as well as people in the outlying rural areas.
There should be the equivalent of seven full-time doctors in the community, but only two physicians remain at the community clinic, while the third is shifting to cover acute or emergency care, the document stated.
“Physicians are very concerned about patient safety and their own health and wellness while trying to balance emergency department coverage with primary care needs, outreach and long-term care,” the meeting document said.
