Senior Physician Urges Public To Take Charge In VJH Code Purple Crisis - Doctor says staff morale low despite new patient care tower

Kate Bouey 4/6/2011 105.7 SUNFM

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The president of Vernon Jubilee's medical staff is urging the public to contact their local politicians, including MLA Eric Foster, and the new health minister to ensure something is done about the chronic overcrowding issue at the hospital. Doctor Ed Hardy says the opening of the new patient care tower in September will not solve the problem. He says two shelled-in floors of the tower, slated for future patient care, need to be filled with beds immediately. ``We really need those extra floors filled and staffed,'' says Hardy. ``That would do alot to decompress the hospital.'' The doctor says the hospital could actually lose up to six beds when the tower opens due to the loss of some in-patient surgical beds. ``As things stand it's going to be overcrowded the day it opens,'' says Hardy. ``We want people to be aware of this and to engage with the local politicians and request some action be taken.'' Hardy says morale at the hospital, from cleaning staff to the doctors, has plummeted over the last few months due to the overcrowding and subsequent overwork.
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Honourable Michael de Jong Minister of Health Room 337, Parliament Buildings Victoria, BC   V8V 1X4 Phone: 250 953-3547 Fax: 250 356-9587 E-mail: hlth.minister@gov.bc.ca ------------------------- E-mail: eric.foster.mla@leg.bc.ca
Office: East Annex Parliament Buildings Victoria, BC V8V 1X4		Constituency: 3209 31st Avenue Vernon, BC V1T 2H2
Phone:	250 356-9574	Phone:	250 503-3600
Fax:	250 356-0596	Fax:	250 503-3603