The MLA for Courtenay-Comox is urging the provincial government to reconsider its decision to cut three hospice beds from Courtenay’s Aitken Community Hospice.
Brennan Day said the reduction stems from recent Ministry of Health funding changes and is calling for hospice services in the Comox Valley to be fully restored.
In a letter to Health Minister Josie Osborne, Day asked the province to pause the ministry-directed cuts, adding that the Comox Valley Hospice Society was not consulted beforehand.
His letter states the decision to reduce hospice care capacity was made to maintain 28 long-term care beds at Courtenay’s Ocean Front Village.
“The decision to take hospice beds offline to ‘preserve’ long-term care capacity is not a solution, it’s a symptom of a system in freefall,” Day said in a news release. “End-of-life care deserves dignity, and that dignity is not found in a crowded hallway or shared room, nor in forcing families to take on this sacred work alone at home without support. That is unacceptable.”
Day’s letter is available for public viewing on his social media accounts.
– Article includes image from Google Street View
