Fallout continues over allegations that homeless patients were discharged from Surrey Memorial Hospital and shuttled by taxi to Chilliwack shelters.

Premier John Horgan described the allegations from Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove sent to Fraser Health as B次元官网网址渟tartlingB次元官网网址� during his weekly media availability Thursday in the legislature in Victoria.

B次元官网网址淚f that is in fact the case, thatB次元官网网址檚 startling for me and I think startling for all British Columbians,B次元官网网址� Horgan said.

B次元官网网址淲hy we brought in a minister of mental health and addictions is so that we didnB次元官网网址檛 have examples like this, where we find cracks in the system, and those who have potential mental health challenges are left to their own devices.B次元官网网址�

READ MORE:

PopoveB次元官网网址檚 letter criticized how hospital officials decided to discharge two patients on separate occasions last month and send them to shelters when they still required some level of care. One person was incontinent and the other had open sores on their feet.

B次元官网网址淎 homeless shelter is no place for a person with health concerns or special medical needs,B次元官网网址� Popove said in his letter to Fraser Health CEO Dr. Victoria Lee, adding Chilliwack struggles with its own ability to house its homeless.

Chilliwack MLA John Martin also broached the topic during question period this week, asking Health Minister Adrian Dix to pledge this would never happen again.

He asked how it could be that B次元官网网址渟ignificantly vulnerableB次元官网网址� patients like the ones described in the mayorB次元官网网址檚 letter could be dispatched to a shelter almost 80 kilometres away.

B次元官网网址淭he great people of Chilliwack do more than their share of heavy lifting on the homeless front,B次元官网网址� Martin said. B次元官网网址淚n short, they punch above their weight.B次元官网网址�

Dix said he would follow up on the circumstances. B次元官网网址淲e have very significantly increased our investment in health care in the last number of years but that doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean that in every case things are perfect.B次元官网网址�

READ MORE:

Fraser Health spokesman Dixon Tam confirmed CEO Dr. Lee had reached out to Popove that morning to review his concerns, which are being taken B次元官网网址渧ery seriouslyB次元官网网址� and are B次元官网网址渢roublingB次元官网网址� for everyone.

B次元官网网址淲hen a patient is medically stable and ready to leave the hospital, we make every effort to find them suitable housing if they donB次元官网网址檛 have a home to return to,B次元官网网址� Tam wrote in an email.

B次元官网网址淚t is very unusual to transition a patient into a different community unless they ask for this, or if it is the only community with housing that meets their needs at the time.B次元官网网址�

Hospital beds are reserved for patients with the highest health needs, Tam continued.

B次元官网网址淎 discharge transition from an emergency room to a shelter would only happen when the patient is deemed medically stable, community services (if needed) have been set up, and if it has been agreed to by the shelter staff.B次元官网网址�

Fraser Health is working with BC Housing and municipalites to develop more options, he said, while making sure not to use hospital beds as an alternative to proper housing.

B次元官网网址�With files from Tom Fletcher

jfeinberg@theprogress.com
Like us on and follow us on .