Around 150 people in Golden have filled out a survey seeking input on medical transportation needs in the community.
The survey, produced by the Age Friendly Committee asks if people have used the medical bus, which runs to Cranbrook and back, for medical appointments, other reasons, if the days and hours are suitable, if people have missed appointments due to lack of transportation, if people have regular out-of-town appointments, and a string of other questions to help better understand the transportation situation in Golden.
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Chris Hambruch built the survey with hopes of identifying key issues in Golden surrounding transportation. His role with the Age Friendly Committee seeks to find out how many people are in need of transportation, and will assist in setting priorities from a transportation perspective.
“Yes, we do have the medical bus that runs Mondays and Fridays, and we have statistics about who takes it,” he said. “But my question has always been, how many people does it not work for?”
The survey is available to fill out online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/XXQRBHB. Any personal and identifying information will be removed prior to distribution. The survey complements letters sent to MLA Doug Clovechok regarding medical transportation access and options for the citizens of Golden and the surrounding area. The Age Friendly Committee also had the chance to speak with Clovechok about the issues people are facing in the community.
The survey is being conducted as a preliminary step to finding solutions around transportation issues.
“My hope is then we will have better numbers of how big the problem is,” Hambruch said. “First, we’ve got to define the problem, and then find out what can be done to fix it, and then how to pay for it.”
After gathering input from the community, there could be many options on how to improve services to ensure everyone is able to make it to medical appointments when needed.
The medical transportation bus is funded by Interior Health and the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District, Hambruch explained.
The hospital district reaches from areas surrounding Cranbrook, to the B.C. Alberta border, all the way to Roger’s Pass. The area it encompasses is quite large, and the funding for the medical transportation bus currently comes from property taxation.
When Greyhound ceased its services through Golden, some people have found it more difficult to attend their appointments heading east and west, and south.
Greyhound ceased its operations in most of British Columbia and across Canada in October, 2018.
Since then, some bus companies have attempted to fill the gap, but the services offered don’t run as often as people would like.
Golden is fortunate enough to be on the Trans-Canada Highway, but many other communities across the province have less services.
Previously, a bus ran daily between Cranbrook and Golden, and to the east and west of town, making it easier for people to find transportation to appointments in other areas.
“That’s what has really put it at a different level. People are having difficulty getting anywhere,” Hambruch said. “The one thing we did lose when we lost Greyhound was that bus that ran from Golden to Cranbrook every day.”
Hambruch has heard stories of people who have been flown to the West Coast for minor heart surgeries, and are released a few days later without any way to return home.
Currently, it is possible to get a bus from Vancouver to Kamloops or Kelowna via Ebus (www.myebus.ca), or from Vancouver to Calgary through Golden, and back, once a week via Rider Express (www.riderexpress.ca) on Fridays and Saturdays.
READ MORE: Rider Express
Information collected through the survey will be shared with local and provincial governments and current transportation service providers with hopes of finding a solution. Anyone who would like to make additional comments can e-mail khctransportation@gmail.com, or mail Hambruch directly at 1051 King Crescent, Golden B.C. V0A 1H0.
“I want to try to find out what the problem is first, and what we need to fix it,” Hambruch said. “There are bigger issues than we can solve locally, but we can do our best to do something locally to help resolve some of the burden for some people.”
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Hambruch is working with the Age Friendly Committee’s transportation subcommittee to gather as many responses from people of all ages in Golden. His work on the survey is not related to his involvement with Town of Golden council.
If people would like to see B.C. introduce a program where they are reimbursed for travel expenses, as some other provinces do, they are encouraged to contact Clovechok either by e-mail at doug.clovechok.MLA@leg.bc.ca or by writing to Doug Clovechok, 362 Wallinger Ave. Kimberley, B.C. V1A 1Z4.
