Editor:
Re: Sexually Transmitted Infection clinic to close (Dec. 28 issue of the Grand Forks Gazette)
I’m shocked and appalled that the Interior Health Authority (IHA) would cut a much-needed service like the Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) clinic in the Grand Forks area.
Dr. Robert Halpenny, president and CEO of IHA, must live in a city where STI services are easily accessible but it is not so for me or for others here.
Years from now, Halpenny will be wondering why there is a drain on medical services – remember, what you do now will show in the future.
Shame on Halpenny for cutting services to young and old. I am a mom who is going to have teenagers and it is vital that my children have a safe and caring person to do the tests that are required, without having to travel a long distance.
I strongly urge IHA to keep the service in all rural areas, especially in Grand Forks.
Claudette Parisien,
Christina Lake
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Editor:
I’m asking the provincial government to explain why the B.C. Liberals endorsed the Interior Health Authority (IHA) decision to close sexually transmitted infection clinics.
This decision directly affects the Grand Forks public health unit, which will no longer be testing new patients for sexually transmitted infections or HIV. Based on a news release by the British Columbia Nurses Union (BCNU) recently, Interior nurses warn of higher rates of teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STI), infection transmission and higher acuity from delayed treatment if clinics are closed.
Public health nurses in B.C.’s Interior region are stepping up their opposition to the Interior Health Authority’s (IHA) recent decision to close all five public health clinics that test and treat STIs and HIV.
I disagree with IHA claims that the thousands of annual STI clinic visits will simply be absorbed by family doctors and walk-in clinics.
The nurses are telling us that many of their clients do not have a general practitioner. STI clinics provide safe, cost-effective programs that preserve doctors’ availability to the sickest in our communities. It also allows a safe alternative to seeking assistance by confiding in public health services.
My call echoes a recent comment by Laurie Munday, BCNU regional chair for Okanagan-Similkameen, that pointed to the B.C. government’s own Key Performance Indicators, “which declare that we should focus on health promotion and prevention. Closing the STI clinics flies in the face of their stated goals.”
Our current MLA John Slater needs to immediately act on behalf of the people of the Boundary-Similkameen and get his government to explain this decision that negatively impacts rural communities such as Grand Forks. This is not in the best interest of families. It goes against a preventative approach to health concerns which we all know is more fiscally responsible than reacting after the fact.
Marji Basso,
NDP MLA candidate,
Boundary-Similkameen
