Harwinder Sandhu
Vernon-Monashee MLA
British Columbians have a lot to think about and worry about these days. Between housing, health care and job security, this fall has been challenging for many people. But your government and Premier David Eby are committed to making life easier and tackling the cost of living, in as many ways as we can.
We know the services that British Columbians rely on need to be dependable, affordable, and accessible. That’s why new changes are coming to make these services work for British Columbians, when they need them. Many families with kids are benefiting from the expanded $10 a day childcare program, which saves families about $850 a month, per child. To date, the government has brought in nearly 12,500 spaces in communities across B.C., including here in Vernon. These numbers are constantly growing, and more and more centres are converting to $10-a-day spaces, while new, affordable centres are also being opened.
The government is building a future where affordable, quality, inclusive child care is a core service that families can count on.
There are also changes coming to pharmacies and the healthcare sector, including the new BC Health Human Resources Strategy, which will increase the number of training seats for new doctors, changing regulations to allow paramedics to better treat patients that need emergency care, and create more manageable workloads for staff.
We are also giving pharmacists the ability to renew prescriptions for some medications, saving time for doctors, and saving you from unnecessary trips.
In December, I was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care, and I am thrilled to jump into this new role to help British Columbians. Alongside the minister of health, I look forward to working with seniors, their families, advocates, healthcare professionals and cultural communities to make sure that everyone can access the care they need, when they need it, and where they need it.
This month, I joined the minister of health to announce one of our next steps to support people working in health care. We are helping internationally trained nurses and doctors work in B.C. with new supports to help get rid of barriers to work, while reducing the costs of applications and assessment fees. We know that these skilled professionals can help British Columbians, and support our health-care system, and I am thrilled that we are taking these steps to support workers, and support patients.
These are just the first few steps to make sure that the people who need the most help receive assistance. There is more work to do, but Vernon-Monashee residents can be assured that there is more good news to come from the provincial government.
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