BC LIBERAL GOVERNMENT ENDANGERS LIVES OF EAST KOOTENAY RESIDENTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 6, 2006

Cranbrook: BC Conservative Leader Wilf Hanni said today that he is very concerned by the BC Liberal Government’s continuing cuts to Health Care Services in the Interior of the Province. Hanni said that, citing Budget shortfalls, the BC Liberal Government has dramatically reduced the quality of Health Care in the Interior of the Province over the last few years, at considerable risk to the health and safety of the residents. “After balancing the budget, we expected Campbell to restore some essential services or at least maintain the status quo,” said Hanni. “Instead, we have learned that these dangerous and life threatening budget cuts are continuing, The single remaining ambulance driver in the Elk Valley has now been laid off and replaced with a part-time on call person.”

The loss of full time staff means our ambulance service will have absolutely no continuity, grounding or mentoring. BC Ambulance has also cancelled the training of their staff to national standards of competency. It has also started the practice of hiring untrained and inexperienced Ambulance attendants off the street to cover the vacant full time ambulance positions. Our area is losing qualified Paramedics to other communities because of theses cut backs.

“These decisions by the BC Ambulance Management are killing our ambulance services and putting countless lives at risk,” said Hanni. “The Elk Valley and the East Kootenays are busier and busier every year. Our communities are growing and our hospitals and ambulance services are getting over worked. It does not make sense to continue making cut-backs”

Hanni called on the BC Liberal Government to reconsider this decision and restore the full time positions immediately, before someone in the East Kootenay loses their life because of these cut-backs.

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