Interior Health saw its own version of a baby boom in 2021, with the Okanagan region playing a significant role.
The health authority announced on Tuesday (March 22), that 6,136 newborns were welcomed into the world last year, an increase of 489, or nine per cent, from 2020.
“Interior Health is happily welcoming our tiniest patients to the world as communities grow throughout the region,” said Interior Health president and CEO Susan Brown. “I would like to congratulate all of the families who welcomed newborns last year and thank our dedicated maternity teams for ensuring the highest quality of care for these little ones and their families.”
Although Kelowna General Hospital did not have the largest year-to-year jump percentage-wise, clocking in at 12 per cent, it did see the largest increase of births at 197 more babies.
Penticton Regional Hospital was among the highest increase in Interior Health, welcoming 105 new lives, or 23 per cent more than in 2020.
Vernon Jubilee Hospital’s 56 newborns represented a seven per cent increase. Golden & District Hospital remained on even keel, with 58 new births, the exact number seen in 2020.
Shuswap Lake General also generally remained the same, with 174 new births in 2021 compared to 172 the year prior.
In Kamloops, Royal Inland Hospital saw an increase of four per cent.
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