National

Groups question delay in B.C. care home report

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Jan, 2021 08:04 PM

British Columbia plans to release a report on COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care homes today, but stakeholders consulted and the Opposition Liberals are questioning why the document wasn't released earlier.

The Ministry of Health commissioned the report by Ernst & Young to learn lessons from the first wave of the pandemic, and more than 40 groups were consulted and it was completed in the fall.

Mike Klassen, vice-president of public affairs with the B.C. Care Providers Association, says his group is concerned both about the delay in the report being released as well as the possibility that recommendations in it could have been acted upon sooner.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said last week that his government has implemented all the recommendations in the report and its assessment of the province's actions was "overwhelmingly favourable."

Opposition Leader Shirley Bond has said that people who had friends or relatives die in long-term care from COVID-19 deserve answers.

More than half of B.C.'s deaths from COVID-19 have been in long-term care facilities.

Jen Lyle, the chief executive officer of SafeCare B.C., says seeing the report earlier would have been nice but at this point just being able to see it will be help inform future pandemic responses.

Lyle says her group had flagged several concerns, including the confusion around messaging and orders from the province compared to local health authorities.

She adds that she hopes the health ministry looks into addressing the issues of staff shortages and access for mental health support for workers.

The B.C. Care Providers Association released their own report examining the response to COVID-19 in seniors care in November, and Klassen says the organization is interested to see what recommendations the government-commissioned report may have that are different.

"We're still seeing outbreaks, we're still seeing fatalities," he says. "Are there things we haven't done yet that our group and perhaps the people that were spoken to in this report have recommended and haven't been acted upon yet?"

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

With A Crash And A Bang, B.C. Residents Applaud Health-Care Workers

At the same time each night, Rev. Gary Paterson and about half a dozen other neighbours have begun gathering at least two metres apart on the rooftop patio of their building in Vancouver's west end.

With A Crash And A Bang, B.C. Residents Applaud Health-Care Workers

BC Takes Unprecedented Steps To Support COVID-19 Response - SEE All The Highlights

The B.C. government stepped up its efforts under the Emergency Program Act on Thursday to ensure, among other things, that goods and services are getting to those who need them. Here's a look at what is happening:

BC Takes Unprecedented Steps To Support COVID-19 Response - SEE All The Highlights

Air Canada Begins Operating Cargo-Only Flights Carrying Vital Supplies, Necessary Goods

"Air Canada Cargo has long served as a vital link in global supply chains and with the disruption arising from the COVID-19 pandemic our capabilities are more important than ever.

Air Canada Begins Operating Cargo-Only Flights Carrying Vital Supplies, Necessary Goods

Air Canada Will Operate Six Special Flights as Repatriation Efforts Continue

Air Canada will operate six special flights from Lima, Barcelona and Quito this week to enable Canadians stranded abroad to return home. The flights, operated in collaboration with the Government of Canada, are part of Air Canada's ongoing efforts to repatriate Canadians.

Air Canada Will Operate Six Special Flights as Repatriation Efforts Continue

B.C. Makes Hospital Preparations For Influx Of COVID-19 Patients

VICTORIA - Nearly 3,900 empty beds are available in hospitals around British Columbia in preparation for a possible influx of patients sickened with COVID-19, the health minister says.