All seven obstetrician-gynecologists at Royal Inland Hospital have publicly confirmed they are resigning from hospital-based care, citing years of unaddressed safety concerns, extreme burnout, and unworkable conditions that they say are putting patients at risk.

In a detailed statement released Monday, the group says the decision to resign was not made lightly—but follows years of failed advocacy for safer, more sustainable care.

“We did so only because the health care system is not00 supporting us in delivering safe patient care to women and babies,” the doctors wrote. “We want our patients to know that we did everything in our power to advocate for safe care. Leaving is not what we want, but we feel we have been left with no other choice.”

The resignations—first revealed in a letter to Interior Health earlier this month—affect the entire OB-GYN team responsible for hospital deliveries and inpatient care in Kamloops. The group has committed to staggered resignation dates to help manage a safe transition for patients.

Doctors: Proposal for Safer Workload Rejected

In today’s statement, the physicians revealed they recently proposed changes that would limit the on-call doctor’s role to handling only emergency obstetrics during a 24-hour shift. That proposal, they say, was rejected by the Ministry of Health, which instead suggested expanding the physician’s duties to include scheduled procedures and unscheduled gynecology on top of emergency work.

“This is not safe for our patients,” the group said, calling the situation “impossible” and a source of moral injury for physicians forced to choose between urgent cases.

The OB-GYNs also cited:

• A failure to recruit new specialists, despite ongoing shortages;

• Unsustainable workloads, with some doctors working up to 80 hours per week;

• Long wait times for basic gynecological care, due to disproportionate time spent covering hospital shifts;

• Repeatedly ignored calls for help, despite raising these issues with Interior Health and the Ministry of Health for several years.

Interior Health Responds

Interior Health confirmed the resignations last week but emphasized that Royal Inland Hospital remains open. Vice-President of Medicine Dr. Mark Masterson said efforts are underway to stabilize services, including temporary locum coverage, though no long-term plan has been made public.

Some of the resigning physicians may continue offering outpatient care locally, but details remain unclear.

Community Leaders Alarmed

The resignations have sparked concern across Kamloops. Deputy Mayor Nancy Bepple called it a “devastating blow” for families, noting roughly 800 births happen at Royal Inland each year—not including patients from surrounding communities.

Opposition MLAs and health critics have blamed the provincial government for ignoring years of warnings. The Kamloops & District Chamber of Commerce also weighed in, saying the loss of maternity services affects not just families, but the region’s economy and ability to retain skilled workers.

Doctors Say They’ll Stay—If Supported

Despite the looming loss, the OB-GYN group says it’s not too late.

“If the Ministry of Health and the Interior Health Authority will support us to serve you safely, we will,” the statement concludes.

As of now, no plan has been announced to fully replace the OB-GYN team, and Kamloops residents face growing uncertainty about the future of maternity care in the region.

*This is a developing story & Radio NL has reached out to Interior Health for comment