During question and Answer period at the legislature on April 23, 2024, Shirley Bond MLA Prince George- Valemount raised lymphedema care in BC to the Honourable Adrian Dix Health Minister. 

Check out the following transcript to stay up to date:

Here is the draft transcript from the Hansard Blues:

S. Bond: I am very grateful to hear that. I had a very powerful meeting with a number of people who just are inspiring with their resilience and their efforts to change this in British Columbia. So I'm very relieved, and I know they will be, to heart that the minister is considering that.

I'd like to also speak on behalf of the Lymphedema Association. I had an unbelievable awareness session. Obviously, when you have lymphedema, compression garments and lymph drainage therapy can be very expensive. Costs run from $200 to $9,000. I think the minister may be aware that I did a two-minute statement on this in the Legislature after meeting with people who were unbelievably inspiring.

I wanted to raise the issue that the Lymphedema Association had submitted an application to PharmaCare in June of 2021, and we're now in June 2024. I'm wondering if the minister could just give me and the members — and the people of British Columbia who have lymphedema — some sense of hope as to whether or not funding will be provided.

Hon. A. Dix: As I understand it, we do cover lymphedema sleeves in B.C. I'll certainly engage with the group, as well as the member, about issues that they'd like to see resolved. Again, the member will know: look forward — and I'll ask, especially, our PharmaCare team, led by Mitch Moneo, to reach out and not to wait for their request on this issue. We will definitely follow up, and I'll follow up with the hon. member.

S. Bond: Yes, and I think that there are a number of specific questions. I think if there would be a willingness, on the minister's part, to have staff reach out to talk about what the gaps are, because they have to be custom-made for people.

I know that in Prince George, for example, one of the things…. Spirit of the North, and Spirit Day, the lymphedema group there in Prince George, actually has raised thousands of dollars to provide assistance to people for compression garments. That is something that we should actually be looking at provincially, to make sure that as many people as possible get the support that they need.

As a result, we are looking forward to a meeting with the Minister of Health soon!

Colleen O'Farrell