University of Alberta public health students are advocating for the creation of a specialized intensive care unit (ICU) that would meet the needs of Edmonton’s homeless population. The Student Advocates for Public Health presented their proposal at a news conference on Tuesday, noting that unhoused individuals in the city rely on emergency services at a rate 8.5 times higher than the general population. To better support those experience homelessness and reduce the strain on local health-care systems, the students are calling for a 24/7 ICU that would combine medical care, addiction recovery services, mental health support, rehabilitation counselling, and transitional housing. This idea reportedly emerged from discussions that took place in a public health course led by UAlberta professors and physicians at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
