By Richard McGuire

About 20 people turned out for a rally at Gyro Park on Friday to show concern about recent closures of the emergency room (ER) at South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH).

The rally was organized by Residents for Healthcare, a grassroots group led by local residents Marilyn Mulldoon, Gaye Horn and Brenda Dorosz, but it was Mulldoon who did the talking as she said the closures are unacceptable and may even be a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“Our doctors at the south end of the Okanagan are exhausted,” said Mulldoon. “They’re doing their best to provide quality care at this end of the valley. They need help.”

Those who turned out for the rally sat on the grass in the blistering sun, propping up placards as Mulldoon tried to make herself heard through a bullhorn.

She said the low turnout was a reflection of how broken the system is and how discouraged people are.

“Why bother?” she said. “Why come out and sit in the sun and roast when nothing is actually going to be heard and dealt with?”

Mulldoon said the purpose of the rally was to increase the numbers of people speaking out and she said there would likely be another rally in Oliver.

Mulldoon said she’s been a resident of Osoyoos for 14 months, but has owned property here much longer, before moving here from the Lower Mainland.

She has no medical background, but as an autoimmune patient, she has stared a support group here for other autoimmune patients.

Horn said she was attending for moral support. Dorosz was unable to attend because of a work commitment.

The ER at SOGH in Oliver was closed the night of Friday, June 16 due to lack of physician coverage. An earlier announced closure for the first weekend in June was rescinded at the last minute when coverage was arranged.

Muldoon said the ER in Oliver deals with such medical emergencies as allergic reactions, pharmaceutical interactions, car accidents, mental health issues including suicide attempts, work related injuries and numerous other problems.

It also functions as a walk-in clinic for people who can’t get family doctors, she said.

When the ER shuts down, emergency patients are faced with driving 63 kilometres to Penticton Regional Hospital, she said.

“Travelling at night along Highway 97 can be a perilous adventure due to the changing elevation, the hairpin turns around Vaseux Lake, the wildlife leaping onto the roads,” said Mulldoon. “That’s a long way to go when you’re having trouble.”

She compared the ER closures to Russian roulette.

“You spin that barrel and you point the gun and you hope you don’t take the bullet that that’s the weekend you get sick, that’s the weekend your heart gives out or whatever,” said Mulldoon. “No level of government has the right to deny help. I would like everyone here today to not be silent. Silent as far as I’m concerned is being complicit.”

She urged people to contact Interior Health and MLA Linda Larson to say the closures are unacceptable.

Asked about solutions, Mulldoon said there should be an effort to reach medical students before they graduate in an effort to recruit them.

She also said she would support financial incentives to attract doctors.