Can things really be much different here in Kamloops with the Interior Health Authority? I would think not

Today we have a feature commentary from, Kamloops South Thompson BC Conservative candidate, Peter Sharp:

I came across a story today that should give at least a few British Columbian's, many of whom are desperately looking to find a family Doctor, a bit of hope. 

The news story indicated that BC has recruited a record number of doctors in 2012.  I am pleased to see this, but also find it a shame however; that we can't work harder to find ways to train more of our own BC young people. 

Just the other day, in a government release, the BC Liberals also informed us that:
The government of British Columbia and the BC Medical Association are partnering to improve primary care services and ensure all B.C. citizens who want a family doctor are able to access one by 2015.  

Here are the first two features they called attention to:
1) Funding to enable family physicians to consult with patients by telephone
2) Incentives for physicians to take more patients with complex conditions, such as cancer, onto their caseloads.  

Now I don't know about you, but I'm not so sure that we want to have doctors diagnosing patient medical concerns by telephone -- something tells me we could be opening ourselves up for some kind of multi-million dollar lawsuit if a serious misdiagnosis were to occur. 

Doctors to diagnose over the telephone, while patients
self-diagnose over the internet for lack of family doctors

And ... if doctors are already carrying more patients than they wish to have, which is greatly increasing their stress and burn-out level, what kind of 'incentives' can we possibly provide that would have them take on more patients? 

I have to say that everything I see, read, and hear, tells me the whole system appears to be getting worse, and not better.  And it's not just doctors (and others in the healthcare system) saying the problem is patient loads that are too high, and not enough family doctors.  Spending is being badly misdirected as well.  

Some Doctors involved in direct medical care in BC are saying; "Hundreds of millions of tax dollars are being wasted every year oninefficiencies and mismanagement".   

In this same story we read:
Mike McLoughlin, a Kelowna businessman whose wife is a family doctor at a walk-in clinic, said patients often needlessly repeat medical tests when they're referred to a local hospital.

"The information sharing is so poor that patients undergo the same tests twice," said McLoughlin, who's running in the May election for the B.C. Conservatives after getting fed up watching waste in the system.  

 

The story "Wasted Tax Dollars: B.C. health spending under fire", by Michael Smyth, informs us that:  

... in the Fraser Health Authority alone, the number of non-union staff making over $150,000 a year has increased 22 per cent since the 2009 election. 

... and those making between $125,000 and $150,000 is up 35 per cent, and those making between $100,000 and $125,000 is up 39 per cent. 

 

Can things really be much different here in Kamloops with the Interior Health Authority?  I would think not -- and it IS NOT. 

Health care delays hurt --- they hurt real people

Yesterday I posted about the thousands of news stories that have been written about BC medical system … and the systemic delays in care in emergency wards.   

I also mentioned that in the middle of writing that piece, I received a telephone call from a friend that has personal experience with the system.

Their story is one that caused me to go through a wide range of emotions, emotions which ended in anger … anger in wonderment at how one of the worlds best medical systems could get to this point.

I have asked to share their story, and they agreed … here it is in part:

3 years I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. The third neurosurgeon gave me hope, and said my operation was to be in the fall, meaning October, or November 2011.

That date has come and gone

This operation is needed to relieve the nerves that affect my legs.  The nerves are severely pinched to such an extent that my legs feel like they are on fire and I just writhe in pain. My quality of life has got to the point where must days I can only go from my bedroom to the living room couch, where I stay until I return to go to bed in the evening.  Like I mentioned this is no quality of life. 

Are you alive because of this drug review of Vioxx?

On Tuesday, the National Post had a headline that screamed … “Health Canada not giving timely warnings about pharmaceutical drugs: Auditor General”

I tell you that certainly grabbed my attention as I, along with pretty much all of us have a need for prescription drugs at various times.  Here in part is what the story had to say:

“Health Canada is slow to act on potential issues that it identifies … time lag, outlined in an audit tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons and characterized as “serious,” means people sometimes have to wait more than two years before Health Canada completes a drug safety review of a product already on the market and provides updated information about their risks… the audit also found gaps in transparency that are keeping Canadians in the dark about Health Canada’s drug-safety work …”