Morning Update: Hot weather and wildfires persist in Alberta; Turkey’s election runoff
The Globe and Mail
23-05-15 10:50
Doctors in British Columbia have warned that patients are facing a long wait for intrauterine device (IUD) insertions, following the Canadian province's launch of free prescription contraception in April. Willow Clinic in Victoria now has appointment slots booked up to three months in advance, up from a wait time of just one to two weeks prior to the scheme's introduction. Ana Nunes, the birth control co-ordinator at the clinic, highlighted the need for further training programmes to increase the number of qualified clinicians capable of performing the procedures. Nunes stated that the waiting times hadn't delayed services, rather had helped staff "streamline the process and make it more efficient". Alongside IUDs, British Columbia pays for a range of other contraceptive drugs, including birth control pills and patches, as well as emergency contraceptives.