Re: “Hall St. project a hardship for patients”
Further to Dr. Bibby’s letter, I too would like to voice my frustration with Nelson’s apparent lack of interest in facilitating access to healthcare for those with handicaps.
As the medical director of Kootenay Medical Centre, I have been lobbying the City of Nelson to provide handicap parking in front of our clinic since my initial request on July 29, 2014. A follow-up letter to the mayor’s office nearly one year later on July 8, along with a subsequent personal visit to parking services at the Nelson Police Department, has not yet earned the courtesy of a reply to my request.
We already have an oversized parking stall in front of our clinic that meets handicap requirements!
Kootenay Medical Centre is a UBC primary care teaching clinic with six physicians and two nurses serving thousands of Nelson area patients, many of whom struggle with handicaps.
People inexperienced with handicaps may not recognize the importance of access to health care providers, but I must reinforce that this access is a critical civic requirement and must not be ignored. Why do I feel that dealing with the city is like pulling teeth for such an obvious and critical requirement?
Dr. David Sonnichsen, Nelson