A new telemedicine project is set up to provide virtual health care support to people living in shelters across Victoria.
On Friday, the Victoria Cool Aid Society announced the completion of a pilot project to create more accessible health care options for people living in Cool Aid apartment buildings, emergency shelters, temporary housing and homeless people.
Pilot tests included adding a tablet computer, medical software and communications equipment to existing medical exam rooms at Rock Bay Landing shelter and at Mount Edwards Court seniors’ apartments.
The CAMICO (Cool Aid Mobile Inner-City Outreach) team working with unsheltered populations at Topaz Park and Pandora Ave since the beginning of May are now set up in each of the hotel sheltering sites and the arena.
These sites currently house 460 people who were ordered to decamp from those areas.
The new telemedicine virtual platform will now be set up at each of these sites to facilitate health care providers in contacting each other and appropriate providers.
“This has been a timely innovation during this COVID-19, as we strive to keep people physically distanced but not socially isolated,” said Mary Chudley, Director, Health & Support Services.
“However, these new virtual kiosks will provide options for our clients and our health team, long after COVID-19 has passed. Cool Aid is looking forward to providing more accessible healthcare to the housing sites throughout Greater Victoria.”
The telemedicine initiative is being funded by the Rapid Relief Fund created by the Victoria Foundation at the start of the pandemic.
