BC United Leader Kevin Flacon has promised to build a treatment centre providing up to 100 complex care beds in Kelowna if his party is elected in October.
“So we can take those folks with untreated mental health and addictions off the streets…to make sure they get the compassionate care and attention they need today,” Falcon said at a news conference across from Kelowna General Hospital on Monday (July 29).
He added this includes the ability to involuntarily remove individuals from the streets who are unable to make decisions in their own best interests.
That would require legislative changes to the Mental Health Act, Falcon added.
The centre would provide stays of up to two years.
“So they can properly recover…so that when we reintroduce them back onto the streets we do so in a manner that they are actually healed,” Falcon explained.
Today’s announcement is the Okanagan portion of BC United’s plan, announced two years ago, to build 500 beds across the province.
Falcon added his party would also end “the reckless decriminalization policy of this NDP government” by providing free treatment instead of free drugs.
Dr. Michael Humer, BC United candidate for the Kelowna-Centre riding, saw many patients with addictions during his 28 years as a thoracic surgeon.
“How they wanted help, how they wanted guidance and how they wanted it delivered compassionately,“ he said.
According to BC United documents the initial operating and capital costs to deliver a province-wide complex care plan would be $1.520 billion over three years.
“But I want people to understand the savings that will be realized if we can get a lot of these folks off of the streets and into proper care,” Flacon said.
In April this year, the NDP announced 240 new complex care units across B.C. including 22 in a building on Pacific Avenue in Kelowna.
The provincial election is scheduled for on or before October, 19.
A media release from the BC Government Caucus stated that when Falcon was Liberal Health Minister he made $360 million in cuts to health authorities, closing treatment beds and clinics across the province.
“We all agree more treatment services are needed - but Falcon’s cuts to addictions care are part of what led to this crisis, and they would make things worse again,” Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Jennfier Whiteside, said in a statement. “We are taking action to save lives and connect people to care…that’s the work that this government is doing now, and will continue until we end this crisis.”
*Editor's note: This story has been updated to add comments from the BC Government Caucus.
