Medical Equipment Loan Program at Risk of Shutting Down
The Canadian Red Cross Health Equipment Loan Program in Dawson Creek, which serves northern Alberta and the Peace Region, faces closure due to volunteer shortages.
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A critical program helping people across northern Alberta and the Peace Region recover after surgery and injury is at risk of shutting down due to declining volunteer numbers.
HELP, the Canadian Red Cross Health Equipment Loan Program, provides medical equipment to people recovering from surgery or post-injury. The Dawson Creek location serves clients across a large region from northern Alberta and into the Yukon.
"Unfortunately, we are rapidly losing people due to age, others moving out of the Dawson Creek area," said Vicky Paul, volunteer coordinator with the program. "I'm concerned that if we can't keep this service viable here, people will have to go to the Fort St. John depot for their equipment."
Without more volunteers, the service—which currently operates from a small space on the third floor of Dawson Creek Hospital—would be left with limited support. Locations would reduce to Fort MacMurray, Grande Prairie, and Fort St. John only. The nearest alternative would then be Edmonton.
Approximately 500 people in the region currently rely on local access for physio and post-discharge equipment. Questions also remain about whether the program will operate from the new Dawson Creek hospital when it opens.
"It's a good question people should start asking—if we are going to be in the new hospital here," Paul said.
The Red Cross is seeking community members willing to volunteer to keep the Dawson Creek service available.