The following letter was distributed in our community, addressing our MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) in British Columbia, Canada.
Mr. Walker,
Thank you for the interesting post card that we received a few days ago with a list of very important projects you have supported or initiated over the past few years in our communities. It brought to mind the question as to what has happened with the health care detention of Ms. Eileen Wicks. In my mind, having known Eileen for almost 25 years, there is absolutely no reason why she has been detained in Island Health facilities for fast approaching three years.
My father was able to live at home from the early 1980's to 1995 with a much worse declining physical and mental condition than Eileen. Care was provided primarily by my mother aided over much of that period with community nurses provided by the health authority and Veteran's Affairs.
Eileen's care by Island Health could be valued at approximately $400,000 given that we understand another friend has been admitted to the nursing floor of a local care home, reportedly with a fee of about $12,000 per month. Surely, the health authority and the family could have come up with a program to care for Eileen that didn't cost the public purse so much. Is there nothing that can be done or could have been done to find a better program for Eileen and one that doesn't put such a needless burden on the already stretched health authority budget (with several parties wasting money on legal services)?
The way Eileen has been treated from a legal point of view scares the heck out of me when Premier Eby talks about involuntary care for people with severe addictions and who are mentally ill. Will legal safeguards be improved, given that it appears Eileen has been detained without robust due process?
Sincerely, name withheld by request.
David Eby Premier of British Columbia, Canada.
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