I know that much has been said and written about the hospital emergency staffing problems but this was hit home to me a few days ago.
On Saturday, a group I belong to held a strawberry tea at the Elks Hall.
The weather was hot and there was a good turnout of people, which meant the room was busy and stuffy. Although the air conditioning was working hard, the constant stream of customers coming through the doors meant hot air was constantly being let inside, and making a hot room even hotter.
Our male members had just finished entertaining the crowd by singing when one of them collapsed. We assumed it was a heat-related problem but it turned out to be a heart attack. The ambulance and paramedics were there in record time and our member was taken to hospital where he received trauma care then sent up to Kelowna.
If this event had been the previous weekend, we would have had no emergency room open and maybe the event could have ended up with a tragically different result.
I know that our hospital staff do an excellent job when they are working, but no emergency room is not a viable option in a community of many elderly people. Osoyoos and further east also depend on our emergency services, it is not a luxury it is very necessary.
Is this a political ploy by Interior Health to gradually phase out the entire hospital? I don’t know but if we stand by and let it happen we are going to face a lot more tragedies in the future. We need to make our voices heard on this matter.
I am happy to report that the gentleman in question was given two stents and his heart is working normally; he should be out of hospital in a couple of days.
Many thanks to our ambulance crew who attended in record time and gave this man the care he needed to recover.
Pat Whalley, Oliver
