Doctor shortages, waiting lists and specialist access key issues for the NDP in fall session

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It’s always been one of the key issues in British Columbia politics and once again, Health care will be high on the agenda at the Legislature as B. C.’s politicians get down to their tasks in the fall session.

With waiting times increasing at hospitals and troubles in northern communities in keeping doctors, the opposition is making plans to focus on health care, this session, sensing trouble ahead for the Liberal’s handling of the always controversial service.

The Daily News had the talking points of local MLA Gary Coons and NDP health critic Adrian Dix, as part of their front page coverage in Monday’s paper.

'WHO WILL HEAL OUR AILING HEALTH SYSTEM?' ASKS MLA
By Kris Schumacher
The Daily News
Monday, October 22, 2007
Pages One and Three

The fact that Northern rural communities in British Columbia are facing doctor shortages and insufficient access to specialty services is more evidence the province's health care system is in disarray, says North Coast MLA Gary Coons.

Coons said that British Columbia's major centres have some of the longest emergency room wait times in the country, while smaller communities lack doctors and access to specialists and he said that is further proof that the B.C. healthcare system is not working for citizens.

His comments came as New Democrat Health Critic Adrian Dix complained about hospital wait times.

Dix claimed the Campbell government has refused to address B.C.'s acute care bed crisis and he said that is forcing patients to wait hours longer than the Canadian average to receive appropriate care.

“This week’s report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) confirms what doctors, parents and the Opposition already knew,” said Dix. “B.C. Liberal cuts and acute care bed closures have created a crisis in our health care system, where ER overcrowding and hallway medicine have become the norm.”

Coons suggested the unique health care issues in the province stemmed from a failure on the part of the Liberal government to make healthcare a priority.

“Our healthcare system is in disarray,’ said Coons, “It’s senseless.”

“We have a $4.1 billion surplus on one hand, and failing health system on the other. It simply does not compute the resources are there, they are just not being deployed.”

An example he drew on was the Bella Coola Medical Clinic being forced to scale back services this summer when the number of doctors in the region was reduced to two, which among other things meant doctors were forced to stay on call for extended periods of time.

As well, healthcare providers have already been struggling with a lack of people to staff ambulances for communities in the region.”

“I spent a good deal of time discussing health matters with my constituents this year,” Coons said.

“People in remote areas are facing acute doctor shortages and communities all over the North Coast are unable to find and keep emergency personnel,” said Coons.

“In rural and remote British Columbia, the difficulties around healthcare are centered on basic access. Some of these communities don’t even have a doctor, and residents are expected, as a matter of course, to pay hefty transportation costs for basic and emergency care.”

Coons said one of the difficulties faced is that the two-dollar-an-hour “pager- pay”, which is standard for ambulance crews in remote areas, makes it difficult to attract and maintain qualified ambulance personnel.

“It’s bad enough that my constituents are often left on the hook for hundreds of dollars for an ambulance ride.” Coons said. “What really irks me is the manner in which the government consistently refuses to take action on issues like pager-pay. The shortage of ambulance attendants could be fixed if the government merely offered to pay them a decent wage.”