Interior Health responded to my questions and here is what they had to say
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What is being done to support people past the July 31 closure date?
Interior Health has supported the TRFO physician group by putting in a number of shorter-term supports for the clinic to support immediate ongoing services for mothers and babies, such as additional clerical staff, a permanent registered nurse and enhanced funding for locum (visiting) physicians. We are also supporting discussions with the Ministry of Health regarding compensation.
For longer term solutions we are engaging with family physicians in the community about increasing broader support for maternity care in the city as well as looking at ways to increase midwifery practices in Kamloops. This will include discussions on compensation models that will support recruitment and retention of providers.
What options people who used the clinic might have if the closure is not reversed?
In the interim, we would direct patients to alternative resources that exist in our community. This includes the Kamloops Urgent Primary Care and Learning Centre and the Royal Inland Hospital Emergency Department.
If possible, we recommend patients to reach out to their family doctors or nurse practitioners. For unattached pregnant patients, we recommend using the Kamloops Primary Care Waitlist Priority Access Referral process to expedite attachment to a primary care provider.
We encourage patients to also connect with Healthy from the Start (1-855-868-7710) for additional support and information.
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It’s great to hear things are being worked on but these steps are not solving the problem right now, there are patients with due dates beyond July 31, 2023 that do not have care providers.
I hope to get a progress update soon that has more concrete answers on keeping this clinic open and how probable that is.
If the clinic does close the solutions put forward by Interior Health are difficult to digest. Waiting for Urgent Care or the Emergency Room for checkup appointments, delivery & follow up care doesn’t sound good to me and certainly won’t to other mothers.