Restore Bariatric Surgical Funding in BC Petition Drive Announced

BCABA (British Columbia Association of Bariatric Advocates) in partnership with WL&S Support, announced the following press release.

Together with the bariatric community in British Columbia, we are announcing a petition directing the Liberal government of BC re-establish surgical funding for bariatric bypass surgery.

In late 2009, the Vancouver Island Regional Health Authority cut bypass bariatric surgical funding by 65%. This move by VIHA was in direct response to the BC Heath Ministry’s capping of health budgets  at 98% of the total requested budgets by health authorities in BC. In order for VIHA to meet their 2% short fall, they consciously slashed services to people who are morbidly obese, one of the few groups left who are still marginalized by society.  As VIHA is the only health authority in BC where bypass bariatric surgery is performed, the drastic reduction in these surgeries creates undue hardship on all British Columbians diagnosed as morbidly obese. Patient waits have now ballooned up to as long as 3 to 4 years to receive surgical intervention,

BCABA, WL&S Support and the bariatric community in BC believes that morbid obese British Columbians are being discriminated against in regard to timely and universal health care options necessary to treat their condition.

We’re asking all British Columbians to raise their voices with us and deliver a strong message to the Liberal government of BC on the importance of priorities. Heath care is the most crucial service for every single man, women and child in BC. Bariatric bypass surgery is the “canary in the mine.” Help us to stop health care budget cuts before it’s too late.

Read and sign the restore bariatric bypass surgical funding petition online now.

You can help by downloading this flyer, print as many as you want – post it on bulletin boards at your local mall, grocery store and anywhere else you can or hand it out to friends, relatives and neighbours.

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