Re: 鈥淗ealth system needs more than baby steps,鈥� editorial, Oct. 9.
There is indeed a 鈥渟hortage of access to operating rooms in the public system,鈥� and the sa国际传媒 government鈥檚 recent investments in health care are certainly welcome.
While the concerns raised focus on access, what is not being addressed is the ongoing shortage of specialty-educated nurses, including operating-room nurses, and the need for more of them across sa国际传媒 There simply are not enough nurses to provide the care needed in the newly announced surgical centres or hospitals.
sa国际传媒 has the second-lowest number of registered nurses for our population size in the country, at 676 per 100,000 population.
In a province with an aging population, retiring nurses and fewer GPs, how will British Columbians鈥� health-care needs be met in the next few years? Without enough nurses, delays in surgeries will continue, and access to post-operative care will be limited both in the hospital and in the community.
The government has to focus on solutions that effectively utilize all nurses鈥� skills and provide safe health-care workplaces for nurses and their patients while implementing effective recruitment and retention strategies that will ensure we all have the care we need today and well into the future.
Christine Sorensen
President, sa国际传媒 Nurses鈥� Union
