A Lower Mainland mayor says he is confused about a Fraser Health program and questions whether it is an appropriate use of taxpayer money.
Last year, Fraser Health launched its Planetary Health strategy, which focuses on the effect climate change and other environmental factors have on health.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said that last month Fraser Health invited him to some meetings about the strategy.
“They wanted me to come to a bunch of meetings,” West said. “And lord knows as a mayor you go to enough meetings you don’t need to go to anymore. It was not clear to me what they were looking to accomplish.”
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Fraser Health did not respond to Global News’ questions about the program, including what is the budget, how many employees work there and what is its purpose.
West said that if Fraser Health is intent on holding meetings, it should do so on a different topic.
“If you want to have a roundtable with mayors to figure out how we address the extreme wait times in hospitals, how we get more people having access to a family doctor, how we improve healthcare access in general… I’ll come to that roundtable because that is their primary responsibility,” he said.
