Merritt mayor calls out NDP healthcare promise

Amid frequent emergency department closures, Merritt mayor Mike Goetz says the BC NDP’s promise to triple U.S. healthcare worker recruitment will need to benefit Interior Health communities more than the previous campaign did.

Party leader David Eby lauded the success of past efforts to recruit more than 800 healthcare workers looking to leave the United States.

“U.S. healthcare professionals are choosing B.C. because here they see a public system that reflects their values and puts patients first. There’s a lot more work needed to get everyone the care they deserve – we can’t afford to stop now,” said Eby.

“Donald Trump attacks Canada every day, so I certainly don’t mind poaching doctors from his country.”

However, Goetz said this campaign had little to show for its success in the Interior Health Authority (IHA) region.

“It’s easy to say numbers. Like, we have more than 800 nurses, but what does that look like? Where are they? Where were they distributed to? Give us some information,” said Goetz.

According to Goetz, the promise falls especially flat when considering the frequent closures of Interior Health’s facilities. According CFJC Today‘s past reporting, the IHA has dealt with 11 ER closures in Merritt and 39 in 100 Mile House since the start of this year.

“Last year, there was an ER closure every two-and-a-half days in the IHA and now today, it’s every 2.8 days. Every two days, there’s an ER closure in Interior Health. This is not a healthy healthcare system that you should be leading your campaign with,” said Goetz.

“This is just the IHA. Northern Health has the same issues.”

According to Goetz, IHA communities have paid a combined estimate of $163,000 in 2026 for ER services that were not delivered due to closures.

He also notes ER closures have cascading impacts to other emergency services within and outside of the community.

“When our ER closes, all of our paramedics are out of the community because they’re hauling people to either Kamloops or Kelowna,” said Goetz.

“When that happens, all of our medical calls go to the fire department who respond and do what they can to get the situation under control and get patient ready for transport, but they can’t transport them. So, now they have to call around looking for an ambulance from Princeton, Penticton or Logan Lake. That takes about 45 minutes to an hour for that to get here, then the person is taken off to Kamloops or Kelowna.”

The BC NDP said they plan to expand their recruitment efforts in Republican-controlled “red” states.

“Trump’s attack on women’s health is another reason we have seen such interest from American doctors and nurses to move here,” said Eby.

“Our expanded campaign will highlight that we will protect a woman’s right to choose and that doctors never have to navigate a for-profit system, which bankrupts half-a-million Americans every year.”

Goetz said he would prefer to see a provincial governments that takes feedback from municipalities impacted by frequent ER closures.

“There has been plenty of mayors and other people who have worked with Mayor (Laurie) Hopfl in Lillooet and Mayor (Merlin) Blackwell out of Clearwater with clear ideas on how this can be fixed and how this can work and yet, it falls on deaf ears,” said Goetz.

“There are clear paths here if they would listen to communities that meet with them.”

Goetz encourages those who talk to candidates running in the provincial election to ask about what their plans on for dealing with shortages in the health care sectors.

Voting day for the 2026 provincial election is Saturday, Oct. 24.