You are not feeling well and you are suffering from what may be the flu or indigestion, but it has been ongoing. You call the clinic to see a doctor. Only then you discover that no doctor is taking new patients nor are the nurse practitioners. A few days later you finally give in and go to emergency.
You wonder, “Why can’t I see someone looking after families?”
You and several thousand district residents today find themselves without a family physician. It is a recurring problem across Canada.
Last Tuesday Canada’s premiers and territorial leaders met together in Ottawa, hoping to see a major infusion of cash into health care. They hoped for $100 billion and were offered $46 billion over a ten-year period with strings attached. The strings include developing new systems to share data and digitalize information so Canadians can have their health information shared between hospitals and clinics in different provinces and territories. Locally that would make it easier to transfer patients to Winnipeg and have their records readily available.
Ottawa has also put $25 billion for family health services, health worker shortages and backlogs, mental health and substance use, and health-care modernization. More funding has also been offered up for support workers. It is a start.
One must still ask; “will it provide me with a doctor in the district?” That remains to be seen. Will any of the money earmarked for family health services make its way to primary care in “Family Health Teams” who provide primary care for most Canadians, or will it be directed to hospital emergency rooms?
Alika Lafontaine, president of the Canadian Medical Association would like to see a pan-Canadian licencing system so that a doctor licenced in one province would be able to practice anywhere in Canada. Now each province has their own licencing system and doctors must become licenced in a new province when they choose to cross provincial boundaries.
It would be great that a district resident becoming a doctor in Manitoba could practice locally without having to go through the complete licencing program in Ontario. Similarly, Dr. Lafontaine believes pan-Canadian licencing system should also apply to nurses.
Across Canada there are hundreds of immigrant doctors who would love to resume their medical careers. There must be a method to recognize their skills and bring them onboard as physicians through a short apprenticeship program and have them practice in rural Canada. More openings must be made in medical schools to train doctors.
There are no quick funding solutions to our health care system. More patient information shared Canada wide between hospitals and clinics would be a start. Other simple solutions also seem to be available, but there must be political will to make them happen.
Former Publisher
Fort Frances Times
