Indigenous mobile health service launched in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside

A new primary care programlaunched in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside aims todeliverhealth care to women in a culturally appropriate manner.

TheWomen's Mobile Primary Care Program's new mobile health unit van teams doctors, nurses and social workers withIndigenous knowledge keepers, elders, and healers to provide care from an Indigenous perspective.

AWednesday press conference to announce the launch of the new mobile unit started with atraditional blessing where cedar leaves were washed onto the van.

The unit offers women-specific servicesfrom pap smearsto IUD insertions and removals,sexual health testing, and birth control.

Rosemary Stager-Wallaceofthe Vancouver Aboriginal Health Society, which partnered with the First Nations Aboriginal Primary Care Network to launch the mobile unit,says it's something thecommunity has been demanding for a while.

"Women on the Downtown Eastside are still vulnerable to violence and racism," Stager-Wallace said. "They have a really hard time accessing primary care services."

Jennifer Whiteside, B.C.'s minister of mental health and addictions,says theaim is to have mobile care vans offer flexible care for isolated and vulnerable people.

"You have to take care to where people are," Whiteside said.

"We can't set up systems that require people to come to us. We can't set up systems that have barriers for people. We have to take down those barriers and that's what this program is about."

Holistic health treatments

The van will also providea range of holistic health treatments for the Indigenous community.

[Van driver and cultural co-ordinator Ruby Ann-Harry says smudging will be offered.

"We can offer them sage and thenthey can smudge down, and then fanning them down just to give them a better energy and feel better about themselves," Ann-Harry said.

All of the health-care providers will be women with a goal of including as many members of the Indigenous community as possible.The program is open to all women on the Downtown Eastside.

"We get to go to them andI've already got a really good ground rapportwith them so that they're looking forward to seeing us,"Ann-Harry said.

The new van operates three days a week and will park in different locations in the Downtown Eastside.

Women are invited to drop by at anytime. No appointments are necessary.