It has been recognized on both government and local levels that there is a unique problem with the medical care in Princeton. We apparently have enough doctors to cover the local and area populace; however, there are not enough physicians to man the Hospital Emergency Room. For years, the government has been running in circles, hiring “recruitment” officers, etc. and no solutions have been forthcoming. Now the area is in the midst of unacceptable 4-night-a-week closures in the Emergency Room. The government would like to “centralize” the health care in British Columbia, but that has its obvious flaws in emergency situations.

To solve this unique problem, the government must create a “unique” job position. Our government has a long history of creating new job positions, so this should not be difficult. As I understand it, doctors work on a fee for service basis. If they don’t have enough patients, they won’t make enough money to warrant their practice. The current Princeton doctors all have sufficient numbers of patients. To solve our “unique” problem, the government must create a salaried Emergency Room Doctor position. Continue reading →