By Adam Berls

psychiatric care

Three city councillors call for supporting development of Northern psychiatric facility

Oct 9, 2024 | 2:13 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — In August, we brought you the story of a Prince George psychiatrist who is petitioning to bring a psychiatric care facility to Northern B.C. That petition has now caught the attention of three city councillors, who have signalled their intent to further support development of a facility in Prince George.

Councillors Trudy Klassen, Garth Frizzell and Kyle Sampson have put forward notices of motion for the advocacy and support of development of a psychiatric care facility in Prince George. Councillor Sampson says that with such a great need, our region needs a dedicated facility.

Back in August, CKPG News spoke to Dr. Barbara Kane, a Prince George psychiatrist who is advocating to develop a psychiatric care facility in Prince George, to better serve Northern B.C. communities. In August, she told us the issues she is currently seeing in the system, including patients who are needing psychiatric care, being kept in non-psychiatric area of hospitals.

“It is critical that Council push for a psychiatric hospital to be located in Prince George to serve all of Northern B.C., as we desperately need this resource in our region, and I believe it would be best suited right here in the Northern Capital.” – Councillor Kyle Sampson

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Sampson outlined in his notice of motion, patients who would have gone to the Riverview Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam before it closed in 2012, now stay in local hospitals, preventing new patients from getting the help they need.

Councillor Frizzell and Klassen noted in their notice of motion that “this cannot be an issue that is promised with little thought and abandoned for other priorities.”

The notices of motion put forward by the three councillors will be considered for council’s consideration at the October 21st meeting.

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X: @AdamBerls

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com