A family doctor who works in British Columbia and Alberta says patients who don’t get the care they need before ending up in overburdened emergency rooms should be a focus for quick action by the country’s health ministers as they meet in Vancouver.
“So, every day I have to log into my computer and try to manage the things I can while I’m away,” he said of his chronically ill patients who are not best suited for care by other doctors without full knowledge of their medical history. B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said the extra cash is needed as the province tackles nursing and doctor shortages, improved access to digital health care, as well as mental health and substance-use services related to the toxic drug crisis.
Man completed his training in Alberta seven years ago but said getting his licence to practise in British Columbia was a months-long, arduous process.