Arzeena’s Priorities
Healthcare
Arzeena’s three priorities for Courtenay-Comox
I am dedicated to making life better for you and your family through three key pillars:
HEALTH CARE
One in five British Columbians doesn’t have a family doctor. In the Comox Valley, our hospital was built undersized and was overflowing the day it opened. Island Health continues to mismanage infrastructure building.
The BC Greens are committed to a robust, forward-thinking health care system that looks at the trends in our communities and builds to anticipate them.
I have heard the stories in our communities of seniors trapped in hospital beds because there is not enough home care available to enable them to return to their homes. I have heard about the years-long waitlists for surgeries because we do not have enough specialists in the valley. And I see so much of our emergency health care system being overwhelmed by the opioid crisis that nurses and front-line workers are burning out.
I am putting forward a 3-prong solution to health care in the Comox Valley based on:
1. Team-based health care to decrease the burden on family doctors
2. Hiring more home care workers (and paying them better to attract more individuals)
3. Increasing the number of treatment bed and detox options for all people in the Comox Valley.
Inspired by former federal Health Minister Jane Philpott’s ‘Periwinkle Model,’ the Dogwood Model will establish a network of community health centres across the province—without requiring additional funding.
These centres will provide comprehensive, team-based care, so people can see family doctors, nurse practitioners, mental health professionals, and specialists like dietitians and dermatologists—all without the frustrating delays of referrals.
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Better access to high-quality health care for all
BC has the lowest health care satisfaction rating in Canada, and the biggest issue people identify is the shortage of doctors and nurses. One in five British Columbians doesn’t have a family doctor. The BC Greens advocate for team-based healthcare so that family doctors are supported by aides & nurse practitioners. This also means more ER beds remain available for true emergencies.
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More access to home care for seniors
Greater access to affordable home care means more seniors can remain in their homes, healthy and independent, and age with dignity on their own terms. Home support is crucial for maintaining hygiene, nutrition, safety, social connections, and rehabilitation. Currently, there are at least six private home-care service providers in the Comox Valley, but these services are not affordable for everyone. This issue is only going to become more urgent: in the Comox Valley, the number of people 75 and older is expected to double between 2017 and 2037.
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More medical detox and treatment beds
BC’s poisoned drug supply continues to take almost seven lives every single day. More than 14,500 people have died in British Columbia since a provincial health emergency was declared in 2016. The BC Greens continue to call for regulated treatment and more harm-reduction services to mitigate public harm and to reduce public consumption of controlled substances. Currently, there are no dedicated treatment beds for addiction issues accessible to all residents in the Comox Valley. Affordable and accessible medical detox and treatment beds are desperately needed. This is crucial because, without robust support systems, we see increased emergency room visits and hospital admissions.