The leader of the People’s Alliance says a review of youth mental health is a good initiative, but Kris Austin says action must be taken now to immediately help those who are in crisis.
He says they can’t wait for hospital officials to come up with a plan and report back to the Health Minister.
He adds all hospitals need to ensure kids who go looking for help aren’t turned away if a psychiatrist is not available.
“Kids who are in crisis, as Lexi Daken was, should never be made to feel as though they are a burden or that nobody is available to help them. Government must do better to ensure minors who need help always have access to appropriate care and are never turned away. We cannot have a repeat of the tragedy that unfolded last week,” Austin says.
He is also supporting a public inquiry into Lexi Daken’s treatment at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton, where she waited for over eight hours without seeing a mental health professional.
