Dix slams Valley MLAs

By Daily Courier Staff Monday, December 4, 2006 http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/article_3855.php
The Central Okanagan’s provincial politicians have been silent on the troubles at Kelowna General Hospital, NDP health critic Adrian Dix said Sunday. Sandi Hawkins, Rick Thorpe and Al Horning haven’t said anything in the provincial legislature concerning the now common practice of “hallway medicine” at KGH, Dix said.“I have never heard the members from Kelowna say any critical words about their government’s health-care policies,” Dix said.“Party discipline is one thing, but, first and foremost, we’re elected to represent our constituents.” “I’m hearing from a lot of people that Kelowna is headed towards a health-care crisis, but the Liberal members from this area don’t want to talk about that.”Dix was in Kelowna as part of the NDP’s plan to hold public meetings around the province in response to the government’s “Conversation on Health Care.”“The government has made it clear that it doesn’t want to hear from health-care workers at their meetings, so this is a chance for those people who are excluded to speak up,” said Karen Abramson, a local NDP organizer.At the meetings around the province, Dix said he has heard from nurses who are increasingly feeling burned out by work weeks as long as 90 hours.“The overtime demands being put upon them are overwhelming,” Dix said. “What’s happening to the quality of care when health professionals are being forced to work those kind of schedules?”Last week, Dr. Shawn Spells said KGH was overcrowded 24 hours a day. Such conditions, Dix said, arise in part from what he said was the Liberal government’s reduction of 1,200 acute-care bed spaces in B.C. during the past four years.Dix will be at the Coast Capri Hotel again today from 9 to 11:30 a.m. to meet with members of the public on health-care and other issues.