Royal Inland Hospital.

(ASHLEY LEGASSIC - REPORTER / iNFOnews.ca)

A Kamloops woman says a recent encounter at the hospital has her questioning the level of care health professionals are offering to unvaccinated or partially vaccinated patients.

She said she was treated poorly because she has only one dose of vaccine so far and has heard even worse stories from friends.

She was called to Royal Inland Hospital for an emergency surgery last month when she says after at least three negative screenings for COVID-19 symptoms, a nurse who was to help prepare her for surgery was reluctant to treat her.

Out of concern for health authority staff she is associated with, the patient asked that her name not be published.

"It was disconcerting because it was very obvious. I'm there for an emergency surgery that was a necessity and I had a nurse shrink away from me," she said. "I have good friends at RIH and have heard of several nurses refusing to go into rooms where the patients are not vaccinated, and many others saying they should have the right to refuse care."

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If nurses or health care professionals are refusing service or treating unvaccinated or partially vaccinated patients differently, Interior Health says that shouldn't be happening.

"We are committed to supporting all patients, residents and clients regardless of vaccination status. The vaccine mandates are specific to healthcare workers to keep all the people we serve safe," an Interior Health spokesperson said in a written statement. "It is also important to know that vaccines are safe and they work in protecting individuals and communities against the spread of COVID-19."

The patient added that she was masked and hospital staff were wearing personal protective equipment at all times. When she awoke from anaesthesia, she even had a filtration mask on under her oxygen mask.

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She encountered multiple staff members while she was there for her surgery, and while only one showed an aversion to helping her before having a COVID-19 test, she's concerned that it represents a complacency in allowing some staff to pick and choose who they may serve.

"I can't imagine that it's only one nurse because if it was one nurse, others would feel comfortable reporting her," she said. "It's sad because it's obviously taking away from patient care."

As of Nov. 2, Royal Inland Hospital is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak on Unit 5 S.

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On Nov. 3, 430 new COVID cases were confirmed across the province with 88 in the Interior Health region.

So far, over 90% of British Columbians over the age of 12 have at least had their first vaccination dose.

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