All seven OB-GYNs at Kamloops’ Royal Inland Hospital resign, citing safety risks, burnout, and poor support. Province pledges swift recruitment.
Doctors Step Away Amid Growing Safety Concerns
In a rare and coordinated move, every obstetrician-gynecologist at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) in Kamloops, B.C., has announced their resignation from hospital duties. The group of seven physicians informed Interior Health in a joint letter dated October 11, 2025, that worsening safety conditions, an unmanageable workload, and a chronic shortage of new recruits made it impossible to continue providing full-scope obstetric care.
Their collective decision, described by colleagues as “unprecedented,” follows months of tension over limited staffing and rising patient loads that doctors say put both mothers and infants at risk.
Hospital Services to Wind Down Gradually
According to the resignation letter, the physicians will begin a phased withdrawal from in-hospital duties, including labour, delivery, and cesarean procedures, once replacement specialists are secured. Each surgeon will contact patients on existing wait-lists to coordinate next steps.
Several doctors plan to maintain outpatient gynecology clinics in Kamloops to minimize disruption for existing patients. However, the group warns that the “near-total loss” of obstetric services will leave the city’s expectant parents in a precarious position unless urgent action is taken.
Expectant Parents Voice Anxiety Over Future Care
The news has unsettled many Kamloops families preparing to give birth. Brianna Jones, a 20-week-pregnant university employee, said the resignations have left her anxious about where and how she will deliver her baby.
“I’m quite nervous for how that’s going to look,” she said. “As an older mom, that adds another layer of stress. I just hope there’s a safe plan in place.”
Her reaction reflects growing community concern about access to maternity care in the region, which serves thousands across the Thompson-Nicola area.
Interior Health Promises Transitional Support
Interior Health president and CEO Sylvia Weir confirmed that her team will work closely with Perinatal Services B.C. to coordinate an orderly transition. She emphasized that patient care will not change immediately and that RIH will continue operations while recruitment efforts are underway.
Weir said she spoke personally with the departing physicians and acknowledged their feelings of burnout. “Recruitment has been a challenge not just in B.C., but across Canada,” she said. “We have found qualified obstetricians before, and we will again.”
Province Commits to Recruitment and Reform
B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne called the resignations “deeply concerning,” noting that maternity care shortages are a pressing national issue. She said the government has already identified more than a dozen qualified candidates to bolster Kamloops’ obstetrics team.
Osborne added that a new physician compensation package—aimed at easing workloads and improving retention—is being finalized. “We’re taking this very seriously,” she said. “Women in Kamloops deserve reliable, safe, and timely care.”
Political Pressure Mounts for Long-Term Solutions
Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar described the mass resignation as “a shocking failure of health-care management,” warning that similar crises could unfold elsewhere if systemic underfunding continues.
“This is something the government has been warned about for years,” Milobar said. “They need a sustainable plan for maternity services—not short-term fixes.”
What Comes Next for Kamloops Families
For now, Interior Health says RIH’s maternity unit remains open, but the timeline for replacement hires is uncertain. The province expects to finalize new recruitment contracts in the coming months while expanding OB-GYN training seats to meet long-term demand.
As Kamloops’ medical community braces for change, both health officials and expectant families await proof that the system can recover from what doctors call “a preventable collapse of women’s health care.”
