B.C. paramedics are facing a growing mental health crisis, and Skeena MLA Claire Rattée is urging the provincial government to take immediate action.
Rattée, who serves as the Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions, says the rising number of suicides among paramedics this year is alarming and demands urgent intervention. She has requested a formal meeting with the Minister of Health and is supporting the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C. union’s call for a joint inquiry to investigate the root causes of the crisis.
The union, CUPE 873, reports that 2025 has already reached a record high in paramedic suicides. Roughly 30 percent of its members are currently off work or receiving mental health treatment while still on the job.
Rattée says paramedics are overwhelmed by chronic understaffing, high call volumes, and the ongoing strain from the opioid crisis and COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being on the front lines of emergencies, many are not getting the help they need when facing trauma themselves.
She is calling for a coordinated mental health response, emphasizing the province’s responsibility to care for those who serve in some of the most demanding and emotionally difficult roles in the healthcare system.
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