Red Cross clears hurdle to take over health equipment program

The New Brunswick Association of Occupational Therapists says it is now committed to working with the Canadian Red Cross, as that organization takes over management this week of a program that supplies and maintains equipment for disabled people.

As recently as last month, the NBAOT said the province's contract with the Red Cross wasbadly flawed and could put thousands of people with disabilities at risk.

Many occupational therapists work with clients who are eligible for provincially funded programs that provide equipment, such as powered wheelchairs and in-home safety devices.

In December, the NBAOT's executive director, Ellen Snider, told CBC Newsher members were "very concerned" about wait times for equipment, for the health and safety of clients, and for the lack of choice that the move to the Red Cross could bring.

But in a brief statement to CBC News, Snider now says her group is working with the Red Cross.

"As an organization, we have spent the last two weeks constructing a process to orient our members to the new program," the statement said.

Previously, the contract to supply and maintain the equipment had been handled by the Home Health Care Dealers Association of New Brunswick a group of private equipment suppliers.

The Canadian Red Cross took over management of the program on Monday, months after responding to a competitive request for proposals.

BillLawlor, the director of the Red Cross in New Brunswick, says they'reprepared. "We've built that capacity to travel and dispatch as required,"' he said.

People will see that the Canadian Red Cross is indeed delivering this high quality of service that they assured us they would.- Bill Lawlor, Red Cross

The Red Cross announced it had assigned existing staff to work on the program and hired "up to"15 additional people,includingan occupational therapist and specialized equipment technicians.

"It just takes a little time," saidLawlor, "People will see that the Canadian Red Cross is indeed delivering this high quality of service that they assured us they would."

Jared St Germain, of Saint John, is one of the people who hasbeen anxious about the switch to the Red Cross.

He currently has more than 8,000 kilometres on his powered wheelchair, which heis completely dependent on for mobility.

St. Germain says the service he has received from a local medical equipment company for several years has been excellent.

"With the Red Cross coming in to this now, will it actually be the same? Is it going to be longer? Is it going to be slower? We'll have to wait to see how things go with these guys," he said.