Pregnant people in Kamloops and the surrounding Thompson region are facing a serious maternity care crisis. Multiple OB-GYN physicians at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) have resigned their hospital privileges, and the busiest local obstetrics clinics have closed to new patients, resulting in zero access to late term (post 30 week) care and monitoring . As a result, access to safe, timely, and comprehensive maternity care is increasingly limited.

While the official statement is that care is currently available and steps are being taken to rectify the situation, the reality is very different. Pregnant people are being advised to relocate near the end of their pregnancies to ensure a safe delivery. Families are scared, as they should be. Labour and delivery nurses, midwives, and family-practice physicians are stretched thin, and any complication or high-risk pregnancy may require transport to another hospital.

Anyone who has been in a delivery room knows that safe childbirth is a team effort. Left unresolved, this system risks pushing the remaining healthcare professionals to the same difficult decision as the OB-GYNs who resigned. These dedicated professionals are calling for support.

We urge Interior Health and the BC Ministry of Health to take immediate action to:

• Recruit and retain OB-GYN specialists and maternity staff in Kamloops.
• Ensure continuous, on-site labour and delivery coverage.
• Expand midwifery and family-practice obstetric support to guarantee safe care for all pregnant people in the region.
• Communicate transparently with the community about service availability and emergency plans.

Every person deserves safe, timely, and accessible maternity care close to home. The people of Kamloops deserve reassurance that their pregnancies and newborns are not put at unnecessary risk.

How can you help?

1. Sign this petition.

2. Share this information. 

3. Contact your MLA:

Peter Milobar

Email: Peter.Milobar.MLA@leg.bc.ca

Phone: 1-778-471-9371

4. Contact your MP:

Frank Caputo (Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola)

Email: frank.caputo@parl.gc.ca

Mel Arnold (Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies)

Email: mel.arnold@parl.gc.ca

5. Contact BC Ministry of Health

Email: HLTH.Minister@gov.bc.ca

Feel free to use the following template for emails:

Dear [Name],

Kamloops is facing a serious maternity care crisis. Multiple OB-GYNs at Royal Inland Hospital have resigned, putting pregnant people at risk and straining the remaining staff. Urgent action is needed to work with OB-GYNs, reinstate safe, continuous maternity care, and ensure that families in our community are not left vulnerable.

Your advocacy is urgently needed.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]