Pain clinic focus for MLA
Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick says it’s time a clinic was established here to help patients deal with chronic pain.
Letnick, in an open letter to the Interior Health Authority, says he believes that despite investment and increases in other health areas here, services to help those with chronic pain need to be addressed and improved as well.
“As with any new program, the challenge will be finding the funds to deliver the service,” said Letnick, chairman of the Legislature’s standing committee on health.
The MLA’s call comes after one of the Central Okanagan’s local specialists who dealt with the issue of pain management moved to Nanaimo, citing a lack of staff and equipment to properly deal with the issue.
In his letter, Letnick said it is important to make progress on helping people stay healthy, manage chronic care issues, improve access to primary care specialists, reduce wait times, get patients out of hallways in hospitals and avoid readmissions.
And he says creation of a pain management clinic here would help.
Currently there is not a full clinic to deal with pain management issues in the Interior.
“We are making progress but we have more work to do,” said Letnick.
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