Two First Nations health centres split $1.4M, but officials know more is needed
CHIPPEWAS OF THE THAMES FIRST NATION – Queen's Park is investing more than $1.4 million to expand health care services at two First Nations medical centres in Southwestern Ontario.
The funding, announced Wednesday, will expand team-based primary care for a pair of Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) locations – Chippewas of the Thames and Newbury – and address the need for more services and greater access to health care for Indigenous peoples.
“We're going to be able to expand care here at Chippewa (and) we're also going to be able to expand at the Newbury site, which is really needed out there (because) there’s been some physician retirements in that area,” said Dave Remy, SOAHAC’s director of client care.
Remy said Wednesday's announcement was welcomed, but there still is more to be done to address challenges faced by First Nations populations, including the need for additional funding and more health-care workers.
“Truthfully, it's pretty bad,” Remy said. “We've got a lot of work to do to be able to gain the right amount of ground to be able to really affect health in a positive way.
"Are there enough family doctors and nurse practitioners? That's great to get the announcement today that we're going to be getting this funding, and the next battle is getting the people.”
Of the funding, $807,000 will allow the Newbury site to expand services and be open five days a week. The Chippewas of the Thames location will receive $613,000.
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to be transferred to different hospital like Quebec
Indigenous people experience disproportionate rates of poverty, poor living conditions and racism, all of which aggravate chronic diseases and increase the risk of multiple health conditions, precipitating a need for more resources to the historically marginalized population, officials say.
SOAHAC provides quality, holistic health and wellness services by sharing and promoting traditional Indigenous and western practices.
“The needs of the community are still more when it comes to more primary care, more mental health, more traditional healing,” Remy said. “So, this is going to help, (but) it's not going to solve any problems. We all know we need more.”
Some appointments can last an hour, Remy added, as a client's needs are addressed "whether they be physical, social, emotional or spiritual." Often clients have multiple social issues such as housing, evictions and “all those things that go along with it,” he said, which makes having a full staff crucial.
Of clients who use SOAHAC’s services, 68 per cent require access to three or more service providers and come to the centre an average of 13 times a year, organization officials said in a statement. Greater access to team-based primary care is intended give more patients access to programs and services at a high standard of care.
Elgin-Middlesex-London Progressive Conservative MPP Rob Flack said “it's been a long time coming to add this extra funding.”
The cash is part of the provincial government’s “$110-million investment to connect up to 328,000 people to primary-care teams,” a statement from Flack's office read.
Remy said it was nice to hear Flack talk about continuing to apply for more funding.
“We've got a long road ahead, and we're willing to do the work,” Remy said.