Due to the highest COVID-19 numbers in Northern Health, the Bulkley Valley Regional District Hospital has been diverting patients who are not in a state of imminent threat, concerning their health.

"Diversion" is a benign way to describe the experience families of these non imminent patients have gone through.

Jody Hick is a Smithers woman who's father, Robert Carroll lived in The Meadows -- a retirement community in Smithers -- until recently. He required more care than the staff at The Meadows could facilitate, and when Jody found her father unresponsive in his room, she took Robert to the BV District Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

He was kept there under watch from August 9th until September 10th before he and his hospital roommate were asked if they would like to be relocated to Burns Lake Hospital, 145 kms away.

Jody says her family fought "tooth and nail" to keep him in Smithers where his family could easily visit and care for him, but the decision was made and executed in one day by hospital administration staff.

Lynnelle Hagan is another Smithers woman with a similar story. Her father Jack Hagan was admitted to Bulkley Valley Hospital after he suffered a stroke in August.

The day that Jack was moved to Burns Lake, Lynnelle, his daughter, was at work when she received the call and said she felt totally rushed to meet him at the hospital before he was taken to Burns Lake Hospital.

When asked if she had a message for Northern Health Administration, she said "I just want to know when we're getting our dads back." She said "it feels like the most vulnerable are being taken advantage of by people who won't get their vaccine and that seems unfair".

Listen to Lynnelle's full interview below.