And this is something to be proud of?

Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger

In a news story Sunday (February 12) with CFJC TV7 News in Kamloops, Kamloops South Thompson  MLA Kevin Krueger was quoted as saying that he is "...proud of the government’s record on providing health care and education."

That anyone could be proud of the government’s record in these two areas seems a little strange to me.

We have had multiple stories in Kamloops media in recent weeks about overly long waits by patients for surgeries ... along with ongoing issues with Emergency Room services.  But that almost seems common place now – the following isn’t however.

Most people take for granted they’ll be able to have a shower or a bath each day – don’t expect that if you’re in a care home facility.  Here in Kamloops, the resident of one care home facility ended up being shipped from one side of town to other to find facilities they could use. 

The Kamloops Daily News outlined the reason in a story on January 13^th headlined “IHA too cheap to fix donated tub”.  The story began by saying:

It seems inhumane that if Al McQuarrie wants a bath, he has to wheel himself onto a bus.  The resident of Greenfield Place says the twice-weekly baths he used to receive in a tub in his apartment complex were the only times he felt relief from the non-stop pressure created from sitting in a wheelchair all day.

But that ended in November when the tub was deemed as worn out by the Interior Health Authority, which runs the community bathing program.  The IHA said it's not worth fixing the broken Century tub lift system in Greenfield and to replace it would cost $25,000, an expense that cannot be supported with other facilities touting tubs down the road.

The authority has suggested McQuarrie can catch a HandiDart Bus to have a bath at another location in the city. According to Google Maps, it's a 14-16 minute drive from his Brocklehurst building to Ponderosa, located across the bridge and near the hospital downtown

IHA ended up agreeing to make the necessary repairs – but they were shamed in to it. 

Punishing residents in the interior, is NOT a decision that will help BC families

News has been released that the Interior Health Authority (IHA) will end up with less funding this year … in fact the amount is substantial … three point four million dollars.

The reason??  

Management of the Interior Health Authority has been unable to ensure hospitals, in its jurisdiction, provide needed patient service, within a reasonable amount of time, for hip, knee and cataract surgeries.

I think most people would agree it should be the job of those in management, to ensure that health care services are provided with no long or undue delays.   

If management is unable to ensure this happens, then it should be THEIR salaries that get clawed back, by the Health Ministry.

Health care delays hurt --- they hurt real people

Yesterday I posted about the thousands of news stories that have been written about BC medical system … and the systemic delays in care in emergency wards.   

I also mentioned that in the middle of writing that piece, I received a telephone call from a friend that has personal experience with the system.

Their story is one that caused me to go through a wide range of emotions, emotions which ended in anger … anger in wonderment at how one of the worlds best medical systems could get to this point.

I have asked to share their story, and they agreed … here it is in part:

3 years I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. The third neurosurgeon gave me hope, and said my operation was to be in the fall, meaning October, or November 2011.

That date has come and gone

This operation is needed to relieve the nerves that affect my legs.  The nerves are severely pinched to such an extent that my legs feel like they are on fire and I just writhe in pain. My quality of life has got to the point where must days I can only go from my bedroom to the living room couch, where I stay until I return to go to bed in the evening.  Like I mentioned this is no quality of life.