VJH administration comes under fire

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star - May 25, 2008

A Vernon Jubilee Hospital official is accused of hindering a petition demanding improved health care. The Vernon Taxpayers Association is upset that VJH administrator Peter Du Toit ordered a petition organized by the group removed from the emergency department’s waiting room. “He has no right to deny people access to the petition, especially when it deals with the hospital,” said Tony Stamboulieh, association spokesman. “He is interfering in the process and the free flow of information.” The petition calls on the provincial government to provide more resources for acute care beds as well as nurses and operating rooms. Stamboulieh points out that Du Toit is a public servant and VJH is a taxpayer-funded facility. “He has no right to interfere with the process,” said Stamboulieh. Du Toit acknowledges that he asked staff to remove the petition from the emergency waiting room.“We don’t think the hospital or staff should be involved in political issues,” he said.

Du Toit also believes the presence of the petition could take away from staff duties. “What happens is people ask questions and engage staff to answer questions, that could take away from time to provide care,” he said. The petition campaign will wrap up Saturday, and Stamboulieh says the number of names grows daily. “We are seeing strong support throughout the region,” he said. Stamboulieh would not speculate on how many names have been collected to date, but he says the final figure will be revealed after the deadline. However, he is confident that the petition will send a strong message to the provincial government and Interior Health Authority. “There is a disconnection between the people entrusted to run the government and the people who pay the money — the taxpayers,” he said, VJH is regularly at code purple (full) status, and Stamboulieh insists that is impacting patient care.“The stories we hear are hair-raising,” he said. “The people who sign the petition know what the facts are personally or through family members.”

The petition is available at Armstrong Bakery, Armstrong city hall, the Ashton Creek Store, Askew’s in Armstrong, Butcher Boys, the Coldstream municipal office, Hungry Jack’s in Enderby, the Enderby Credit Union, Enderby IDA Pharmacy, the Falkland Store, the Halina Centre, the Lumby Pharmacy, North Valley Echo in Enderby, Pleasant Valley Quilting in Armstrong, Serenity Tanning, Shepherd’s Hardware in Armstrong, Spallumcheen municipal office, Towne Cinema, Vernon city hall, the downtown Safeway pharmacy, Okanagan Sausage on 30th Avenue and at doctor’s offices.Volunteers will also have petition-signing tables at the Swan Lake Nurseryland, the Vernon Farmers’ Market, and Buy-Low Foods.

Anyone wishing to download the petition can find it at vernonblog.blogspot.com.