Some pediatric services returning to KGH

Jul 10, 2025 | 4:35 PM

Interior Health (IH) is planning for the return of some pediatric services at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) later this month.

IH said, beginning July 13, some services will return including elective pediatric surgeries, diagnostic procedures that require sedation for children, and admitting patients to the pediatric unit during daytime hours.

The pediatric inpatient department closed in late May because of pediatrician shortages, which prompted criticism about mismanagement and a lack of leadership at IH, as well as concerns about a bad working atmosphere.

IH and the Ministry of Health said there are challenges with recruitment.

“We are deeply grateful to the care teams who helped maintained pediatric care during this period of reduced pediatric services at KGH,” Mark Masterson, Interior Health’s vice president of medicine, said in a media release Thursday.

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“Resuming services at Kelowna General Hospital continues to be everyone’s goal and our ability to start that process is indicative of the dedication, coordination, and teamwork happening at the site to support young patients.”

Amid criticism about the leadership of IH, former CEO Susan Brown stepped down in late June, ending her tenure earlier than planned in what was her retirement year.

In response, Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew said the government and Minister of Health “should not think swapping out one person at the top of Interior Health will resolve public frustration.”

The IH statement about some resumption of pediatric service noted individuals requiring emergency care for a child should continue to attend KGH where they will be assessed by an emergency room physician.

To date, 22 pediatric patient transfers have occurred to other sites within IH. An additional seven patients were transferred to BC Children’s Hospital, which occurred for reasons outside the pediatric service interruption.

by Vernon Matters Staff

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