The BC Conservatives have called on the NDP to take action to address the province's ongoing paramedic crisis following revelations that Emergency Health Services is "millions" over budget.
Courtney-Comox MLA and Rural Health Critic Brennan Day called the situation "dire," and warned that communities outside urban areas will suffer the worst.
According to a report cited by Day, the situation has led to "significant paramedic shortages across the province," with "fewer paramedics on shift."
"Rural areas like those in the North Island are suffering the most," Day lamented. "Ambulance shortages mean longer wait times during life-threatening emergencies, while paramedics face unsustainable workloads."
He argued that a problem of this kind has been exacerbated by the overdose crisis, which over the years has put further strain on the province's emergency healthcare system.
"Paramedics are the backbone of our emergency system, showing up day and night under incredibly challenging conditions," Day added. "This government's failure to support them is a disservice to British Columbians who depend on timely and effective emergency care."
Day made it clear that "immediate action" is needed.
He called for investment in rural communities, increased funding to BC EHS to "ensure proper coverage across rural and urban areas," increased mental health and workload support programs to "alleviate pressures exacerbated by the opioid epidemic," and improved efficiency via the "streamlining" of patient handovers at medical facilities.
"Frontline workers have been sounding the alarm for years, yet their pleas have fallen on deaf ears," Day concluded. "British Columbians don’t need empty rhetoric — they need real solutions. The lives of patients and the well-being of paramedics depend on immediate action."