LETTER – Nicola Valley Hospital is not what it used to be

Re: EDITORIAL – Withholding local taxes for ER closures might get something done

Dear Mr. Rothenburger,

My name is Robert (Bob) Holmes and I have lived in the Nicola Valley (Nlaka’pamux Territory) for the past 48 years. I arrived in Canada in March 1966 with my wife and three children as a trained and qualified general surgeon. You may remember that there was a huge exodus of professional people from Britain at that time, known as the “Brain drain”.

Lester Pearson was our Prime Minister and W.A.C.(Wacky)Bennett was our BC Premier.
The Canadian dollar was 10-15 cents stronger than the US dollar. The rest of the world looked up to this country and BC truly had a wonderful health care system. Hospital beds were readily available for $1/day co-insurance. This followed the groundbreaking work of Tommy Douglas in Saskatchewan.

I had been recruited by Dr. L.M.Greene to work in Prince Rupert. He flew to London to interview me at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, where he was staying. That alone is an indication of his financial well-being. There was no cost to the taxpayer, unlike today when Health Authorities employ Recruitment Teams with very poor results.

To cut a long story short, in 1975 my wife and I (now with five children) moved to an old ranch house in Coutlee, next to Shulus Indian Reserve, mostly because of the dry climate and because I enjoyed working with Indigenous people. I had previously worked in Eastern Uganda from 1960-63, a wonderful experience.

In 1975 the Nicola Valley General Hospital had 48 beds and five people in administration; nowadays, it seems almost the opposite.

In those days, the doctors would take turns to work 48hr shifts in the ER and then do a normal week’s work in the office.

Everything changed in 2001 with the advent of Interior Health Authority, a truly authoritarian organization, introducing a climate of fear among hospital staff.

That was when I handed in my medical license and retired. I was 66 years old.

Nowadays, an ER doctor can make $4000-5000 for a 24hr shift in the Nicola Valley Hospital. Four shifts a month will bring in a massive income with no overhead.

An ex-patient of mine approached me in town several weeks ago, telling me of her current illness. She has no family doctor. I told her that she would have to go the ER to get necessary blood tests and possible treatment. She did this after waiting the usual three hours. As she left she asked the doctor to fill in a sickness form for her employer.

He did this and demanded $160 cash, which he put straight into his pocket.

This unbelievably greedy man, who has only been a doctor for five years, lives in Vernon. He has no personal knowledge of any Nicola Valley patients.

I despair for this beautiful province and for this once great country, and even more for my fourteen grandchildren.

I won’t be around much longer.

Yours sincerely,
ROBERT HOLMES MB(Lond), FRCSE, FRCSC