Chilliwacksa国际传媒檚 mayor has met with the health minister and the head of Fraser Health after two homeless people were discharged from Surrey Memorial Hospital and sent by taxi to a shelter in Chilliwack, despite still needing medical care.

Ken Popove said he met with Minister Adrian Dix and Fraser Health CEO Dr. Victoria Lee last weekend in Vancouver, in the wake of his scathing letter to the health authority about two incidents that happened in February.

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sa国际传媒淚 went there to talk about our communitysa国际传媒檚 struggles to take care of vulnerable people who show up in Chilliwack,sa国际传媒� Popove told Black Press Media. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not that I am without compassion or empathy for their struggles, but I had to suggest that perhaps we have more than our fair share of homeless people.sa国际传媒�

Last month, a 76-year-old woman with mobility issues and severe incontinence was sent via taxi to the Chilliwack Salvation Army after she was discharged from Surrey Memorial. A man in a wheelchair with open wounds on his feet arrived a few weeks later after being released from the same place. The shelter couldnsa国际传媒檛 accommodate either.

Popove said he may have sa国际传媒渞uffled some featherssa国际传媒� during the meeting.

sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 a breakdown in the system if people like this are falling through the cracks,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淏ut overall, it was a very positive meeting.sa国际传媒�

He went on to say health officials need to fully provide details to shelter workers when a patient needs a bed.

sa国际传媒淭hey are supposed to send the patientsa国际传媒檚 file ahead of time so the shelters know what they are signing up for,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淪helter workers are not trained health professionals, and cannot provide medical care.sa国际传媒�

He said he learned Chilliwack General Hospital discharges the largest number of people with no fixed address. Dix said he would look into it and consider a refresher on the discharge policy.

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jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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