Mobile health clinic hits the road, serving Greater Victoria's marginalized population
The Victoria Cool Aid Society is revving up a new health clinic that brings the doctor’s office to some of the capital region’s most vulnerable people.
The health-care van runs five days a week, with an eye for expansion, travelling to shelters and supportive housing sites so people can get access to care from nurses, social workers, and physicians.
“We expect to be very, very busy,” says clinical nurse leader Karen Lundgren. “There are a lot of people in Victoria who have a real difficulty accessing traditional health care and so this will allow us to reach those people.”
The services include anything a doctor’s office would be equipped for, including primary care assessments, STI screenings, wound care and prescriptions. It also has harm reduction supplies and a physician aboard who can help people access opiate agonist therapy.
A 54-year-old man who accesses Cool Aid’s resources on a regular basis and once experienced homelessness decades ago thinks the mobile tool will be especially helpful for people who don’t have a place to call home.
“It’s quicker care,” says Garry Gordon. “Plus there’s less stigma with the van than having to go to (Royal) Jubilee Hospital or something.”
The mobile health unit was a donation from Doctors of the World to the Cool Aid Society. Its operating expenses are being covered by sponsors like Telus and Island Health, as well as community donations that support Cool Aid.
“Over the past year, health care and housing have come together in an unprecedented way to provide more services for those in marginalized populations,” says Mary Chudley, Cool Aid’s director of health and support services. “And now we’re taking those lessons we’ve learned from that collaboration and realizing that, yeah, we need to be more mobile.”
The charitable organization says the van is a cost-effective and sustainable way of reaching people for health care.
“I think it will help people reach their health potential that otherwise wouldn’t be able to,” adds Lundgren.
The van has already been in operation over the last few weeks. Its schedule is being posted and shared with Cool Aid’s community partners, and it can be viewed on the charity’s website.
“This van is a new way, an innovative way to do health care,” says Chudley.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.