This time, will we see results in health care?
Health Minister Adrian Dix has been long on promises for more than six years, and very short on results. His most recent pronouncement about appointing 70 “attachment co-ordinators “ to facilitate medical care leaves me wondering if he hasn’t simply added more bureaucracy to an already burgeoning, top-heavy system.
This is the first time I have come across such a title, so I am trying to visualize where those individuals might fit on the organization chart. Am I to take it that the ministry is only now coming to grips with the computer age and that heretofore, all of the “Health Connect Registry” has been little more than a manual Rolodex system common a half-century ago?
Or perhaps it is nothing more than window dressing, hoping that somehow the problem is going to simply disappear or buy time until the election?
From what I can determine, there will still be a significant number of people without primary care. While new physicians are entering family medicine, many are leaving the field through retirement, and in some cases burnout, so what is the actual net increase?
The Urgent and Primary Care Centre model has been a failure, for the most part, for want of staff. Walk-in clinics have disappeared and access to primary care is but a faded memory for many, myself included.
I am looking for results and not obfuscation, platitudes and excuses, which have been the story throughout the tenure of this minister.
I hope that my skepticism is misplaced and that there is real progress for once. That said, I still have no rational basis for optimism given the lack of results to date.
I will watch with great interest and hope for the very best.
James P. Crowley
North Saanich
People who are housed have rights as well
Isn’t it frustrating to see action that disregards community well-being, such as smoking crack or leaving needles in a children’s park, especially when disposal and safe consumption options are available nearby? The neglect of public spaces raises questions about fairness and responsibility.
While we acknowledge that many face homelessness through circumstances beyond their control, it’s crucial to consider when they should be held accountable for actions that harm our community.
As a community, we have historically shown support for those in need. Dishearteningly many experience a lack of respect and consideration, particularly concerning the safety of our children.
This behaviour impacts those who work to improve our neighbourhood, folks who already have significant challenges of their own.
Housed people’s voices matter just as much as the unhoused. Every child deserves to feel secure when enjoying our parks. It saddens me to have to caution my own child about the safety of Irving Park.
I am encouraged by the decision to evict the homeless from Irving Park and I am eager to contribute to efforts in restoring it as a safe space for families and community gatherings again.
Dan McKinnon
Victoria
A perfect spot for a wonderful museum
Out for a drive and to feed the pigeons at the Oak Bay Marina, and was sad to see it still sitting empty.
Thought it would make a wonderful museum. A small part could have a little café to serve tea/coffee and maybe a muffin.
Would love to see it used for a Terry Fox Museum. I am sure it would be popular.
Gladys Whittal
Victoria
Thanks, Island Health, for the services rendered
We are occasionally exposed to bad news stories about our health-care system. These stories are real, disappointing and painful for patients and health-care workers alike.
For each bad story, however, there are hundreds of good patient outcomes that happen daily. I want to share one of these good stories as my way of expressing respect for health-care workers, and encouraging our hopefulness in a continuously evolving system striving to meet expanding and complex demands.
In late January, I had arthroscopic surgery on my knee. The procedure went very well, as did the healing for the next 10 days.
Unfortunately, a complication occurred due to an infection that developed. While this was painful and inconvenient, the seven-week detour on my healing journey allowed me to experience excellent care by the wide range of health professionals in various locations: Saanich Peninsula Hospital, Victoria General Hospital, Royal Jubilee Hospital and the Saanich Community Health Unit — Royal Oak (for service at the Health Unit as well as home care).
I received all the services I needed in an efficient, timely and professional manner.
My knee is now completely healed and I am resuming my active lifestyle. I am grateful for the services I received from Island Health.
Doug Bell
Victoria
Poilievre is quiet when industry raises prices
When the price of gas and diesel went up two weeks ago by three cents, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre went crazy.
He organized his angry crowds to attack climate change, the carbon tax and the federal government. When the oil and gas industry raises prices 15 cents he is pretty quiet.
No rage, no comment, just good old free market capitalism the “common sense solution.”
Paul Best
Victoria
Put public money into public schools
Re: “We should stop funding private schools,” letter, April 16.
It was a bit of a breath of fresh air to read a letter protesting the use of public money to support private schools. As a retired teacher who spent 34 years in B.C. classrooms, I have always deplored the practice of providing public money to private schools.
This policy was established by a provincial party that doesn’t even exist any more, under then-premier Bill Bennett. To my knowledge, this policy has never come up for debate in the B.C. Legislature under the NDP government.
I have no idea why this policy is still continuing, but I’d suggest two possible reasons.
One may be that they are counting on the fact that probably most British Columbians are ignorant of the fact that a percentage of their tax dollars are not going to public schools, but are rather boosting private institutions. During my teaching years (1974-2008), teachers and students struggled under a system that was seriously underfunded. I saw programs cut, courses cancelled, teachers laid off and schools closed. And this policy continues under the current government.
The second reason I’d suggest is that, just perhaps, a number of current MLAs who have their own youngsters in private schools would themselves hate to see a change in that policy.
I have nothing against private schools, but they should be just that: private. Public money for public schools.
William Poppy
Nanaimo
Let’s be respectful during our stay here
We are only very temporary guests staying on this Hotel Earth. It’s a glorious hotel with magnificent surroundings and to our very basic knowledge might be the most beautiful in all the universe.
It gets my personal highest rating. During our stay here, though, we need to stop destroying everything far and wide like we do and it’s truly shocking to see just how long we humans are taking to evolve into a respectful, grateful and intelligent species.
We even still have the alarming continuing audacity to think we “own” this Hotel Earth as we go about bombing it, poisoning it, wiping out other respectful, innocent species and trashing it with our selfish greed and over-consumption.
Other guests, our children and future generations are waiting to make their reservations. So let’s get out our critical thinking tools and fix up this beautiful Hotel Earth for them because they want to have a decent stay here.
So we should be setting a better example by cleaning up after ourselves. No maid service for that. Hurry because it’s getting close to check-out time!
Anne Forbes
Victoria
With all the road construction, bikes look better
There is chaos our roads. Construction everywhere has traffic in gridlock. Coincidence?
Now that almost every street is 30 or 40 km/h, it’s hard to make up time for the many detours, and some have their own detours.
You need an app live-stream in your vehicle. Coincidence or just mismanagement?
This is one way to entice drivers to ditch the car for a bike.
Bennett Guinn
Victoria
Use those empty churches to house people
As I walk to work in downtown Victoria, I am witness to the multitude of current crises.
Addiction, mental health, and homelessness colliding, compounded by the pandemic and cost of living.
On my way, I also walk past multiple churches. Most mornings there are a few folks in the doorways/stairways. Some are neatly tucked in tents, some are buried under a few blankets and a tarp. These folks are usually gone by break time.
Generally, what I see is an organized setup, clearly looking for a safe place to hunker down for the night and quickly pack up in the morning.
While I know not all folks want to be housed, some do. The lucky ones have a vehicle, the organized have tents or tarps, and most keep moving night to night to avoid, amongst the obvious dangers, stigma and a police wake up.
There are many others in far worse shape.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve checked for signs of life and either called 911 or been witness to EMTs working on reviving somebody’s loved one.
There have been many tears on my walk into work.
My question is: when we have massive empty churches with square feet to rival royal palaces, with empty auditoriums, who receive huge tax breaks and donations of thousands of dollars and volunteer hours … .is there no way to provide a safe place to sleep for some of the vulnerable? Is there no room at the inn?
Nancy Beamish
Victoria
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