U.S. doctors do not need more training
Re: “Access to health care in Victoria is at a third-world level,” commentary, Aug. 31.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. shares the concerns many British Columbians have about the lack of access to family physicians in our province and is committed to being a part of the solution.
As such, I would like to correct inaccuracies in the commentary.
It inaccurately stated the College requires physicians who have worked and trained in the U.S. to undertake “an enormous amount of extra education and tests” in order to practise in B.C.
This is not true, as applicants who have full American qualifications can be licensed without extra training. Full qualifications include a medical degree, successful completion of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination and certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties in family medicine.
Contrary to what has been stated in this and previous letters to the editor, the College does not block access to international medical graduates (IMGs).
B.C. has a long history of relying on IMGs to deliver competent medical care to patients. As of Feb. 28, there were 4,451 IMGs practising in our province — about 31 per cent of professionally active registrants.
The College recognizes that finding a family physician can be a difficult and even frustrating experience for many people. We will continue to work with the provincial government and other partners to address B.C.’s human health resourcing issues so that British Columbians can receive accessible and timely care from a family physician.
Heidi M. Oetter, MD
Registrar and CEO
College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.
B.C.’s health-care crisis has deep roots
The health-care crisis began in the mid-1990s when doctors and their patients started retiring.
A simple look at demographics could have solved this small problem before it became the crisis it is today. Instead we have had close to 25 years of deflect, deny and “pass the buck” between federal and provincial politicians.
Unfortunately, few partisan politicians can appreciate the breadth and depth of the Grand Canyon, until they are standing right on the edge. Perhaps they were too busy trying to win the next election cycle.
The health-care crisis will not be solved, as long as partisan political party discipline, enforced by the party whip, comes before people.
Health-care cutbacks are a false economy. Putting a bandage on a symptom cures nothing. The monetary and human costs we must now work through are staggering.
Graeme Gardiner
Sidney
Loyalty and family mattered to MacMinn
Thank you so very much for your fine tribute to my beloved father-in-law, George MacMinn.
I had the great privilege of being close to Bampa, as he was monikered by our son Greg, for 46 years. My first association with the family, however, was 54 years ago delivering the Daily Colonist to my beloved wife Leslie’s home. Leslie is one of George’s children.
When she answered the door one time when I was collecting, as we did in those days, it was love at first sight.
There are scads of wonderful things to know about George. One humorous story, when he was presented to the Queen to recognize his staggering tenure at the table, Prince Philip commented: “You better be careful or they’ll stuff you and put you in a museum!”
Leslie telephoned George at least 1,000 times over the last years of his life.
The calls took place daily at 4:10 p.m. wherever we were at the time and whatever we were doing. I overheard most of the calls and participated often.
It was a major highlight of George’s days. There wasn’t a person on Earth that could have been better to me than our beloved George as my father-in-law.
In the early years as a clerk George wasn’t compensated in any financial way. He volunteered. With a young family it was a monumental sacrifice as the House often sat through the night. This also kept George away from his law practice, preventing him from earning income.
Two things were paramount to George: loyalty and family. When Greg was born, George remarked to me: “Now you have immortality.”
In reference to Wimbledon, George invented a machine that Wimbledon uses to paint latex lines on the grass courts rather than lime, which was traditionally used and which destroyed the grass.
Dave Nicholson
Victoria
Move to boost density has not worked elsewhere
It is interesting to note that as Victoria’s city council rushes to implement a massive change to increase density to “solve” the housing crisis, that it has not observed the success, or lack thereof, of this model in other jurisdictions.
In Canada, one has only to look at Vancouver and Toronto, which have massively increased their density over the past decades to provide more housing and “affordability.” That has been quite the success, hasn’t it?
Just as providing “free” housing to the homeless downtown (with no responsibility for the recipients to contribute to the cost or maintenance of the housing) seems to have only exacerbated the problem.
The increase in housing provided has not reduced the squalor and illegal camping at all, but has worsened it.
Has anyone walked down Pandora Avenue or seen the proliferation of illegal camping in city green spaces lately, after millions has been spent on “free” housing? That has been another example of good intentions gone awry.
Another example of the rush to change the character and livability of the city is that the community plans of Harris Green, James Bay and others are routinely overridden to allow more dense structures.
New high- and mid-rise structures are built right to the edge of sidewalks, eliminating all hints of green space and livability. In James Bay, shade trees will be chopped down to provide construction of new structures right up to the sidewalk.
Noise, traffic congestion, overcrowding seem to be the major outcome of all this development.
Perhaps this madness of unfettered urban growth and densification could be somewhat controlled if the city required that any increase in population growth and density could only occur if there is a corresponding increase in greenspace on a set per capita basis.
Similarly, only city councillors who are residents of the city should be permitted to vote on such a massive change to the character of the city we all love.
We live in a finite space. Once it is paved over, the character and livability of the city will be negatively altered forever. Must we repeat the mistakes of other jurisdictions?
Peter Davis
James Bay
Swimming with orcas? Maybe not a good idea
I’m not sure that swimming with a multi-ton predator with an appetite for mammals is the smartest idea I have ever heard of.
Orcas are undeniably wonderful and special, but best appreciated at a distance.
Len Dafoe
Nanoose Bay
A Clover Point picnic checklist
With all the doom and gloom in the news and summer coming to an end, here is a bit of good news: Effective now until June 2023, no reservations will be needed to use picnic tables at Clover Point.
However, if you are planning a picnic at Clover Point because of the winds you may want to take appropriate items, such as glasses with sand-weighted bottoms, rope to tie down the tablecloth and extra tape for hairpieces, if applicable.
Bon appetit.
Paul Baldwin
Victoria
SEND US YOUR LETTERS
• Email: [email protected]
• Mail: Letters to the editor, Times Colonist, 201-655 Tyee Rd., Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5
• Submissions should be no more than 250 words; subject to editing for length and clarity. Provide your contact information; it will not be published. Avoid sending your letter as an email attachment.
