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Vested interests must speak up over doctor shortage

Vested interests must speak up over doctor shortage Health Minister Doug Graham deserves many thanks and also respect for his recent actions to help address the present doctor shortage. Liz Hanson, leader of the Opposition, also deserves credit for liste

Health Minister Doug Graham deserves many thanks and also respect for his recent actions to help address the present doctor shortage. Liz Hanson, leader of the Opposition, also deserves credit for listening and contacting Graham to ask him to deal with this crisis of urgency.

Our elected representatives often face difficult choices, especially when confronted with a cabal of self-interest, which does not seem to represent the needs and health requirements of the population at large. Retaining the international medical graduates does not solve the current shortage, but it is a start.

What is truly distressing is that not one of the other established physicians in town has stepped forward to state how awful it would be for the community and hospital resources if thousands more patients were left without access to primary-care health services.

It appears that the caring, compassionate aspect of medicine has been excised. All we heard was bleating about “standards” but has anyone looked into how those standards can be achieved? Is there not an alternative pathway to certification with the Canadian College of Family Physicians?

Graham cannot be held responsible for the loss of other international medical graduates over the last several years; we need to address the issue with the Yukon Medical Association and Yukon Medical Council to see what information they have provided to those who hold and have held public office.

Again thanks to Graham; you are truly kind and caring.

Terry and Bill Barrick

Whitehorse