National

B.C. spends $132 million on treatment services

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 13 Oct, 2021 02:57 PM

VANCOUVER - The British Columbia government says a $132-million program that adds staff, beds and services across the province seeks to help people who require substance-use treatment and recovery care.

Sheila Malcolmson, the province's minister of mental health and addictions, says the program will include 65 new or improved services, about 130 more staff and 195 new substance-use treatment beds.

She says some of the new initiatives include a sobering centre in Prince George, an addiction medicine treatment team at Burnaby Hospital and withdrawal services at several locations in B.C.'s Interior.

Dr. Patricia Daly, Vancouver Coastal Health's chief medical health officer, says the spending will broaden and strengthen care services for people who are seeking substance use disorder treatment.

Malcolmson says the program will also provide addiction treatment beds to support women from the Interior and Island health regions.

It will extend an Indigenous-led alcohol treatment and recovery program in Port Hardy as well.

"Big system-level change does not happen overnight. But month over month, we are moving closer to our goal," Malcolmson told a news conference at Vancouver's St. Paul's Hospital. "Today is a milestone along that journey. Up to now we have been patching holes in that road as we drove over them."

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Mask mandate returns in British Columbia

Henry says about 75 per cent of B.C. residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but that number needs to be higher as the Delta variant drives up case counts, putting those who are unvaccinated at greater risk of contracting the virus.

Mask mandate returns in British Columbia

Trudeau mum on U.S. Afghan deadline ahead of G7

Trudeau joined a special virtual meeting of the G7 leaders Tuesday on the crisis in Afghanistan and President Joe Biden is expected to face calls from some fellow leaders to extend the U.S. military commitment to the country beyond his Aug. 31 deadline.

Trudeau mum on U.S. Afghan deadline ahead of G7

COVID-19 plan unveiled for B.C. schools, students grade 4 to 12 required to wear masks in school when classes return in September

Students grade 4 to 12, staff, teachers, visitors and administers will be required to wear masks in school when classes return in September in BC. Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside says it will be full, in person learning. The mask mandate is for indoor spaces, like last school year. Extra curriculars will be back.

COVID-19 plan unveiled for B.C. schools, students grade 4 to 12 required to wear masks in school when classes return in September

Number of active wildfires in B.C. remains at 250

Fire information officer Taylor Colman says crews are seeing between three and five fires start each day compared with about 40 in July. She says most of the wildfires of note — including White Rock Lake at about 810 square kilometres and Lytton Creek at 845 square kilometres — have not seen much growth.

Number of active wildfires in B.C. remains at 250

Wildlife another B.C. wildfire casualty: expert

Scientists are most worried about old-growth forests in fire areas, which are home to the Canada lynx, the marten, fishers, caribou and northern goshawk, she said.

Wildlife another B.C. wildfire casualty: expert

Mountie in Kelowna, B.C., charged with assault

The prosecution service says in a statement that Const. Lacey Browning faces one count of assault after a wellness check in Kelowna on Jan. 20, 2020. A civil lawsuit was settled this year between Browning and Mona Wang, who was a nursing student at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus.