October 7, 2025
RED FM News Desk
A Delta city councillor is furious after his motion to declare a public health emergency was rejected late Monday night, following the fourth temporary closure of the Delta Hospital Emergency Room (ER) this year.
The controversy arose after the Delta Hospital ER was forced to close for more than 12 hours over the weekend due to staffing shortages.
Councillor Dylan Kruger tabled a motion on Monday, calling the repeated closures “unacceptable” and urging the city to issue a strong statement.
Kruger argued that the situation amounted to a crisis, stating, “We have no urgent care centre in our community. We have virtually no walk-in clinics. We have a shortage of family doctors. It is a public health crisis.”
However, that evening, Kruger reported that Delta Mayor George Harvie ruled his motion ‘out of order’, effectively shutting down the attempt to pass the declaration.
Expressing his deep disappointment, Kruger said, “I’m extremely disappointed that the Mayor did not feel it necessary to deem it a public health emergency in the city of Delta.” He added that other municipalities in British Columbia have declared mental health emergencies over the drug and opioid crisis and for various other reasons. The purpose of such a declaration, he noted, is to elevate the issue and compel decision-makers in Victoria to treat it with the utmost seriousness.
Loading ...
