A Tofino doctor has revealed some patients are being admitted to the local hospital not for medical reasons, but to receive shelter, and food.
The hospital's chief of staff, Dr. Carrie Marshall, reports that transients with nowhere else to go have been seeking emergency shelter at the hospital.
Mayor Josie Osborne says while there are no numbers available for just how many people are being affected -- it highlights an issue for small communities:
" What it does is it points out we are a remote and rural community and we don't have the same access to services for some folks who find themselves in need. And that might be mental health and addictions issues and the kind of support that those people need. Combined with the fact that like so many other communities across BC we just don't have the diversity and breadth of housing that we need to have to support all of the people in our community."
Osborne says it's important to be aware of the issue, adding while the District has been doing what it can to supply more housing there are no overnight solutions.