By Veronica Beltran

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Better access to healthcare in rural and Indigenous communities amidst COVID-19

Apr 20, 2020 | 1:32 PM

VICTORIA—The B.C. government announced a collaborative framework that will help ensure people living in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities have access to critical health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The framework was developed through a partnership between the First Nations Health Authority, Northern Health and Provincial Health Services Authority.

“People living in rural, remote and Indigenous communities have unique challenges in accessing the health care they need.”— Premier John Horgan

The framework provides flexibility so that local leaders in rural, remote and Indigenous communities can adapt to it.

The framework outlines immediate actions to improve health-care services and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

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• improved medical transportation options to larger centres, including flight and ambulance;
• housing options for people looking to self-isolate near their families while remaining in their home communities;
• new and faster COVID-19 testing technology;
• culturally safe contact tracing that respects privacy in small communities;
• access to Virtual Doctor of the Day, a program that connects First Nations members and their families in remote communities to a doctor or nurse practitioner using videoconferencing;
• options for accommodation near larger centres with more medical services; and
• increased mental-health supports in communities

As part of this initiative, B.C. Emergency Health Services has prepared significant additional resources to its fleet. 55 ground ambulances throughout the province, including six in Northern Health, as well as seven fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters for medical transport.

The faster testing methods underway include GeneXpert test kits, which take less than 45 minutes to complete. Several GeneXpert instruments are in B.C. now and are being used in First Nations Health Authority, Northern Health, Interior Health, Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health.