Photo showing the Merritt ER closed in October, 2023/via Mike Goetz
B.C.’s health minister says the Province will not reimburse the City of Merritt the $90,000 it is asking for to compensate for closures of the Nicola Valley Hospital’s emergency room last year.
Adrian Dix says the Province will be working closely with Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz to address the issue, by trying to fill physician vacancies.
“The mayor of Merritt is taking steps to raise the issues of his community. I completely respect his approach and his advocacy for his community, and I’ve been working with him closely on these issues,” Dix said, in the Legislature on April 23. “I would say that, in addition, the mayor of Merritt has offered temporary accommodation to people and has found some opportunities there. I’m very appreciative of that as well.”
“While we won’t be paying the bill, we will be continuing to work with Mayor Goetz, who I’ve worked regularly with in this process, to continue what I think has been a successful effort to fill physicians’ positions.”
The City of Merritt pays about $650,000 in hospital district taxes each year.
Goetz wants the Province to reimburse about $34,000 for “services not rendered” after 20 ER shutdowns over 19 days last year with the other $55,000 meant to recoup costs incurred by the Merritt Fire Department who were covering calls during those closures as ambulances were busy taking people to Kelowna or Kamloops.
“If you can’t give us the service, then we need to get our money back. This is for everybody in the province,” Goetz told Radio NL last month. “I mean, every time I turn on my computer, it’s almost like Beach Blanket Bingo – figure out which one [emergency room] is closed today.”
Because hospital taxes are first paid into their respective regional hospital district and then on to the province, Goetz attempted, but failed, to convince the Thompson Regional Hospital District to back his plan to seek reimbursement.
“There was some good debate, and I’m glad I had the debate. I’m glad we had the vote,” Goetz told NL Newsday in March after the vote at the Hospital District.
“I was not supported on it. To be 100 per cent honest with you, I’m not surprised, because there could be some issues that could arise from it that could come up later that could bother the TRHD.”
At the time, Goetz also told Radio NL that he was not expecting the Province to reimburse the City of Merritt.
“We’ve all been brought up in the world, where if you pay for something, you get what you pay for,” Goetz added. “To a certain degree this is a stunt. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? I have no idea. But if I get absolutely nothing, but we end up with our hospital not closing again, then it’s a win.”
There have been two ER closures in Merritt this year, causing an outcry from MLA Jackie Tegart, who told Radio NL that the “system is broken.”
Speaking in the Legislature, Dix says the Province will continue to work the City of Merritt to try and recruit new doctors.
“The situation has significantly improved since last summer, when we raised these issues. But it’s not finished yet, and it’s why we continue to recruit and add physicians to the Merritt hospital, as well as pursuing the APP agreement that has been helpful at other hospitals and we believe will be helpful in Merritt,” Dix said.
“We hope to have a solution on that soon with the Doctors of B.C. and the doctors in Merritt.”
