The Province is launching the BC Heat Alert and Response System (BC HARS) to help ensure people, First Nations communities and local governments have the tools they need to stay safe during heat events.

Mable Elmore, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care, has issued the following statement to recognize B.C. Seniors’ Week, June 5-11, 2022:

Communities in British Columbia are encouraged to support seniors so they can live active and independent lives as $500,000 in a new round of age-friendly grants are available for application.

B.C.’s provincial health officer (PHO) is publishing data collected regarding the COVID-19 vaccination status of regulated health professionals for 17 of the 18 health regulatory colleges as of April 25, 2022.

Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, has issued the following statement in recognition of National Nursing Week, May 9-15, and National Nursing Day, May 12, 2022:

Thousands of people in B.C. will benefit from BC PharmaCare’s new and expanded coverage of medications for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, severe hypoglycemia, migraines, the treatment of low white blood cell levels, multiple sclerosis, heart failure, and birth control.

Effective May 1, 2022, Medical Services Plan (MSP) policy will be updated so individuals who remain in B.C. with maintained status will have access to temporary MSP coverage until a decision is made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on their application for extension.

People living on Vancouver Island will benefit from an additional 2,300 surgeries and 2,300 endoscopies per year, as Island Health assumes the leases and buys assets from two private surgical centres.