Doctor Prean Armogam has been living and working in the Town of Port McNeill for over 15 years now, and he’s decided to weigh in with his own thoughts on the health-care crisis that’s currently crippling the northern tip of Vancouver Island.
Armogam, who runs a private medical clinic in Port McNeill, stated to the Gazette that “contrary to the declaration from the Port McNeill mayor and the health authority, there has been repeated unavailability around lab service and ER hospital access for people in Port McNeill and Port Hardy since at least March of this year,” adding that, “the people of Alert Bay too have been severely affected with closures and a lack of support despite multiple announcements of partnering and collaboration with First Nation communities to build on existing services.”
Armogam clarified that for the sake of semantics, “these are not actual ‘closures’ but ‘service reductions’ that translate to no care availability. Either site is on diversion regularly for emergency patients brought in by ambulance or RCMP, but we are still expected to provide emergency care to patients if they self present. This is extremely unsafe to care providers and patients. The public remains in limbo as to which site to go to. Patients who are frail, elderly or requiring mental health or detox that would ordinarily be admitted, are being turned away to fend for themselves.”
