Jenny Turco, community health facilitator for the Interior Health Authority (IHA), was on hand at Merritt city council’s regular meeting on March 26 to give a slideshow on promoting health through local partnerships. Unfortunately, due to technical issues, Turco’s slideshow didn’t work and she had to describe each slide.

“The aim of the healthy communities initiative is to partner with local governments to promote healthier communities as well as to reduce chronic disease risk factors,” said Turco. “Most local governments and regional districts have been quite responsive. I think there’s been a shift coming, a recognition of focusing on keeping people healthy and health promotion and prevention. We’ve had lots of partnership agreements being established and further dialogue and discussion.”

Turco said how the program is developed for each community will depend on the community itself.

“Every community is going to be different,” she said. “Once the partnership agreement is established, myself and a relevant expert in the health authority will discuss where the local governments want to go.”

Coun. Mike Goetz agreed with the idea of promoting health in the community, but would prefer to see IHA spend money on hospitals and health centres.

“I thought it was a good presentation,” he said. “It’s always good to have a group of people aware of people’s health and to partner with somebody to get that message out. It’s a good thing to have, but I have mixed emotions. When someone is paid to do something like that and we still have the massive waits that we have, I’d like to see more emphasis on getting those backlogs cleared up. I know both need to be done, but focus needs to shift.”

There are people in pain who are on waiting lists and have been for two years, said Goetz.

“That’s one area I’d like to see focused on rather than nutritional health, not that that isn’t important, I just think there are different priorities.”

Goetz said the IHA program is simply relaying a message that people already know.

“I think more focus should be on getting doctors into communities that need them,” he said. “Getting people off the waiting list and getting surgeries done – I think that’s where IHA should be focusing on. This is money that could be better spent elsewhere.”