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From YouTube: MARCH 2 2021 Statements Tom Shypitka
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
1st Session
42nd Parliament
A
Member
for
kootenaise-
thank
you,
mr
speaker,
great,
to
be
back
in
the
house
as
residents
of
the
greatest
country
in
the
world.
Our
health
care
needs
are
protected
under
the
canada
health
act.
The
act
sets
out
the
primary
objective
of
canadian
health
care
policy,
which
is
quote
to
facilitate
reasonable
access
to
health
services
without
financial
or
other
barriers.
Unquote,
however,
mr
speaker,
that
is
not
truly
the
case
across
our
beautiful
province.
Not
only
does
kootenai
share
the
provincial
border
with
alberta,
but
it
shares
health
care
needs
as
well.
A
Calgary
is
about
a
couple
hours
drive
for
some
folks
in
my
riding,
with
no
real
geographical
barriers
to
mention
it
also
close
enough
for
family
support
and
allows
patients
and
loved
ones
to
travel
easily
to
and
from
work
or
child
care
issues
with
limited
expense.
That
said,
the
access
to
alberta
from
british
columbia
has
been
extinguished
for
many
residents
in
kootenais
and
many
other
jurisdictions
in
bc.
Critical
procedures
in
alberta,
such
as
radiation
treatment
for
cancer,
are
being
denied
or
and
relocated
to
places
much
farther,
such
as
kelowna
vancouver
or
even
victoria.
A
These
locations
represent
such
barriers
that
patients
are
actually
cancelling
treatments
due
to
these
barriers.
Another
example
is
that
retinal
surgery
often
involves
the
use
of
intraocular
gas,
which
makes
it
impossible
to
use
air
travel
as
a
mode
of
transport.
This,
in
turn
makes
getting
to
an
alternative
site
for
tertiary
ophthalmology
care
very
difficult.
Now,
mr
speaker,
it
appears
that
people
with
physical
disabilities
are
being
impacted
for
the
first
time
in
the
past,
alberta
physicians
were
able
to
assist
their
patients
with
comp
with
completion
of
the
pwd
form.
A
Our
poverty
advocate
has
reached
out
to
the
office.
To
let
us
know
that
this
is
no
longer
the
case.
The
pwd
application
can
no
longer
be
completed
by
their
alberta
physician.
This
is
not
right,
mr
speaker,
in
a
true
universal
health
care
system.
Mr
speaker,
we
need
to
be
do
better,
and
yet
this
situation
grows
worse
every
day
in
british
columbia
we
are
all
equal
and
we
all
need
equal
access.