The Mayor of the East Kootenay town of Elkford says he would be “honoured” to join a coalition of Interior mayors in advocating for better health care, given his community’s lingering problem with emergency services.
Elkford was first informed by Interior Health on September 29th, 2021, of the closure of the local Emergency Room due to a staffing shortage at the time.
Steve Fairbairn notes his community of around 2,500 hasn’t had an active ER since.
“We haven’t had a family doctor in Elkford since approximately the same time as the closure and the clinic is remained open because of doctors who come here on locums, so they sign up for three or four weeks.”
Fairbairn says he’s been given no response to inquiries about when — or if — Interior Health has a date for the local ER to open.
“When I asked about rumours I heard of materials being taken out of the emergency department. The response was a very strict, no comment.”
The closest emergency room for people in Elkford is a half-hour drive in Sparwood, which is only open 12 hours a day.
“Some people are calling 9-1-1, and I know of at least one resident whose child had a head injury falling on a skating rink and they didn’t go to emergency.”
As such, he says he would welcome an opportunity to join a small-town mayor’s health coalition, which is said to be under discussion once again in the Kamloops region, to send a stronger voice to Victoria for change.
Earlier this week Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz told RadioNL, with all the healthcare staffing shortages in small Interior communities continues, he is hoping to create a coalition of local leaders to advocate for help.