Lyme Disease Foundation pulls support from BC clinic
Posted August 28, 2013 5:39 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation feels sufferers are no better off in the province than they were two years ago when a clinic opened to help people deal with the chronic condition.
It has now withdrawn its support from the Complex Chronic Disease Program at BC Women’s Hospital.
In 2011, the BC government pledged $2-million to start the clinic, which was meant to accurately diagnose the condition as well as provide treatment and symptom management for those with the disease. Canadians had been heading south for treatment for Lyme disease over concern BC’s health care system was failing to provide accurate diagnosis and treatment.
David Cubberley is with CanLyme and says the program is not helping Lyme disease patients and he says the situation is very disappointing.
“We were looking forward to doing groundbreaking work in the way that the government has indicated that it would.”
He believes there may have been some behind the scenes manipulation.”If you are led down a path and given to understand that this clinic is going to provide a model of assessment and a high standard of care to people with chronic lyme disease, then to find out it wasn’t true… It is very upsetting.”
A 2011 provincial report revealed that testing for this condition was inadequate.
Lyme disease is an inflammatory infection that spreads to humans through tick bites.
Treatment and diagnosis can be very difficult and painful. Patients can experience flu-like symptoms to neurological illnesses, including paralysis.
There are over 100 known symptoms of Lyme disease.
