No mask, no problem. But flowers? No entry to a Port Moody hospital

No mask, no problem. But flowers aren't allowed at Port Moody's Eagle Ridge Hospital, Monika Gul reports.

Posted June 9, 2023 6:50 am.

Last Updated June 9, 2023 10:35 pm.

Imagine getting to the hospital to visit a sick loved one but being turned away because you brought a bouquet of flowers. A man from Port Coquitlam is questioning a Fraser Health Authority (FHA) policy that enforces just that.

On Monday, Lucas Teodoro Da Silva was at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody dropping off a loved one for surgery, when he saw a sign that read: “This is a flower-free area. Only non-flowering plants will be accepted.”

Teodoro Da Silva says he also saw a woman told to turn around because of what she was carrying.

“I saw a woman walking in with a potted flowering plant, and she was turned away from the hospital at that time because the woman at the desk explained that they had concerns about allergies. So, she had to leave her potted plant behind. She was allowed to walk into the hospital with no mask on, carrying two Tim Hortons cups, those things were no problem, but bringing in a flowering plant was a problem for the hospital.”

At the hospital. New rule at Eagle Ridge: no plants. No flowers, no live potted plants. People might be allergic.

You can go to a hospital, maskless, with an active covid infection. Cough on anyone. But DON’T dare bring someone flowers cuz ALLERGIES pic.twitter.com/iZdJceIIX4

— lucas (@theLUCASTDS) June 5, 2023

He points out that allergies to flowers don’t typically leave a dozen or two people a week dead in this province, like COVID-19.

He calls it an “absurd” and “bonkers” rule. Teodoro admits it doesn’t make sense to him that someone can’t take flowers to a hospital, which is common, but can walk into any healthcare facility without a mask, potentially infected with a respiratory illness, and spread whatever virus they may have, and that’s acceptable.

Teodoro says at a time when the province’s healthcare system is seeing major challenges, he thinks the health authority should be focusing on addressing bigger issues, rather than plants.

He says he can’t get away from this policy as he’s in the hospital with loved ones up to three times a week.

“I can’t ignore it currently in my life,” he said. “Yet, something like potted plants which, to my knowledge, are not creating life-long symptoms for people in terms of hospitalizing them, in terms of serious long-term repercussion. We’re attacking flowering plants, but we’re not attacking these viruses that are still attacking people.”

Teodoro lives with people who are immunocompromised and still wears a mask.

“And I’m going to see immunocompromised people weekly in the hospital and I want to look after them. It was hard to watch somebody be turned away at the door because they were carrying a flowering plant and then proceed to walk into the hospital with two cups of coffee and not wearing a mask.”

Teodoro says the person he dropped off on Monday for surgery, never got their operation. “Their surgery got dropped. They’re on a waitlist because our healthcare system is so overwhelmed.

“I don’t think the cause of our healthcare system being overwhelmed is flowering plants. Why is this what hospitals are choosing to focus on when it seems like the hospital system right now has so many more issues.”

The provincial government scrapped the mask mandate policy in healthcare facilities on April 6, however, Health Canada still recommends you wear one in public indoor settings.

“We as a society need to pull together and look after people. I’m not sure why the choice is being emphasized by our healthcare system currently is against plants, and not in favour of things that Health Canada is still recommending we should all be doing.”

He acknowledges people are tired of the rule, but he’s in favour of bringing back the mandate in places where people don’t have a choice about who they’re around.

“Long-term care, airplanes, buses, where people have no choice but to use those systems and they’re being overwhelmingly accessed by vulnerable people, that it would be smart if everyone wore a mask and was asked to wear a mask.”

Fraser Health says its “Scented Products Policy” has been in place since 2009 and includes a number of items like shampoo and conditioner, aftershave, deodorant, lotions, perfumes, and some flowers.