Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

FURSTENAU: A government measures what it values. It shows you its priorities by where it spends money

 


The BC government's recent investments into health care have focused on capacity for acute care facilities, such as acquiring new MRI machines. While a reduction in wait-times will be welcome, in my opinion, a more comprehensive approach is required, one that invests not just in machines, but in the very foundations of our provincial healthcare.
Public health is the first and most fundamental level in any effective healthcare system. This should include community services, youth outreach, access to housing and education, a social safety net, harm reduction, school food programs, and tackling social issues such as isolation and loneliness. 
Unfortunately, over the last four decades we have witnessed a decline in such investments in public health and wellbeing, resulting in a weakened foundation for the entire system.
The second level of our healthcare system after public health is primary care, represented by family doctors, nurse practitioners, and walk-in clinics. This primary care network plays a crucial role in preventing serious illnesses and reducing the burden on acute care facilities. Sadly, in British Columbia, the primary care system is on its knees - healthcare professionals are overworked, burnt out, and responsible for an ever-increasing number of patients.
The concepts of of team-based care and community health centres are gaining traction. The incorporation of psychologists into primary care teams, for example, would help to address the rising prevalence of mental health issues, and relieve some of the pressure on GPs and family doctors to 'do it all'.  Investments in these kinds of solutions can make a difference for public wellbeing by making holistic or wraparound care more accessible. How would it feel to walk in to a facility and trust that no matter what your health needs are, you're in the right place? 
The government's emphasis on acquiring new medical equipment for acute care is too narrow; an acute care system alone cannot compensate for the lack of investments in public wellbeing and primary care. The broken foundations of our healthcare system have ultimately lead to a focus on "sick care". The impact of this is seen in tragic stories of late-stage cancer diagnoses, where people without timely access to exams, referrals or preventative treatments learn too late that they need urgent care, and end up undergoing costly surgeries, or worse. 
It's worth considering how much upstream investments could save in downstream costs.
The burden on our acute system is so much greater when we let people live in horrific conditions brought on by poverty and homelessness. The $548 000 spent last year by City of Vancouver to clear Hastings Street encampments is a prime example - imagine what could be accomplished if that funding had been instead allocated to shelters and essential services to keep people healthy!
Our health and well-being is determined by a complex range of factors, not merely those body parts that appear on an MRI scan. What we need for a robust healthcare system is a shift in priorities, and greater government accountability.
A government measures what it values. It shows you its priorities by where it spends money. In 3 weeks, the 2024 budget will be released, and it will be very important for British Columbians to look closely at what this government is measuring and where it plans to spend. 


To your health,
 Sonia Furstenau
MLA, Cowichan Valley
Leader, BC Green Party

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH -- If having three un-happy MLA’s leave the party, is what it takes to have unity within caucus, then I say, “Fine; let it be so”

Regrettably, in recent days, issues within the Conservative Party of BC have come to the surface resulting in one member being removed from Caucus (Dallas Brodie) and the party, and two others (Tara Armstrong and Jordan Kealy) leaving of their own accord. As of this morning (Saturday March 8th) all three are now sitting as independents in the BC legislature. So, what does that mean? In the last twenty-four hours social media feeds have lit up with support for leader John Rustad, while others have been negative, accusing the party, and Rustad, of being bullies and not standing up for conservative values. Ryan Painter, who has personally worked with John Rustad, had this to say: Since the beginning, he's had one target: the BC NDP. He knows that British Columbians deserve a government that works for them, delivers on their promises, and doesn't tax them into poverty. He believes in his team and the power of a focused opposition. He knows who the enemy is. He knows BC deserves ...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER: “Hopefully he’s actually listening to what people have to say, and not just showing up for a photo op”

In his latest travels across the province, BC Forest Minister Ravi Parmar touched down in the Okanagan. A trip essentially, he said, to be on the ground meeting industry people. I read what he had to say, and about how he has been tasked with getting more timber to market. Let me start by saying, “ He hasn’t been tasked. He and Premier Eby guaranteed 45 million cubic metres of available wood fibre – they guaranteed that .” BC Timber Sales is a government agency within the provincial forest’s ministry, which is responsible for managing a portion of the province's Crown timber; specifically, 20 percent of the province's annual allowable cut. Unfortunately, BC Timber Sales did not provide anywhere near that amount last year, it was just 12.2 percent. Three years ago, BC mills cut 52 million metres of wood, bringing in nearly $2 billion dollars to the provincial treasury. That figure doesn’t include the taxes from 55,700 people directly employed in the industry, nor from the tens o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Conservative Opposition demonstrates focused and policy-oriented approach in first four weeks of the legislative session

In the first four weeks of the legislative session, the Conservative Official Opposition has scored significant policy wins as it proves every day that the Conservative team has fresh ideas and real-world experience to bring to the table. At the same time, the NDP government has been listless, struggling to find a policy agenda that addresses the problems that British Columbians are facing. “This NDP government led by David Eby has tried to do everything under the sun to distract from their disastrous fiscal record and the fact that they are utterly out of ideas,” said Conservative Opposition Leader John Rustad. “They’ve tried to use the U.S. President to deflect from their eye-popping $11 billion deficit, the worst business confidence in the country, and the fact that they’ve created almost zero private sector jobs. This is no way to run a province or an economy.” Since the legislative session started on February 18th with the Throne Speech, the opposition...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more