MLA Rice raises Medical Transportation costs on Haida Gwaii during Legislature session

The cost of Medical Transportation and the need for the Government to provide for more options for travel to residents of Haida Gwaii was offered up for discussion at the Legislature last week.

North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice brought the issue to the attention of Health Minister Terry Lake, with a short question to the Minister in the Tuesday morning session.

Ms. Rice outlined the current nature of the coverage of the Medical Transportation program which covers 100 percent of Ferry Transportation, but only 30 percent of air travel on certain airlines.

She advised the Minister that it actually costs less to fly, than it does to take the ferry and that only one airline on Haida Gwaii is currently covered by the program.

She asked if the Minister would move to cover more of the cost to families that fly out of remote communities and receive the medical treatment that they need.

Minister Lake provided a short review of government policy for the MLA, advising that the Ministry is always reviewing the travel assistance program.

You can review the video of the session, from the BC NDP Caucus You Tube page.




The transcript of her exchange with the Minister can be found in the pages of Hansard, at the 10:32 mark of the Tuesday morning session.

For more items of note regarding the work of MLA Rice at the Legislature see our archive pages, the Archive for the week of October 20-13 can be found here.

While the larger overview of events at the Legislature related to the North Coast and Haida Gwaii can be found here.