Re: recent stories and John Harding’s editorial about the doctor shortage in Parksville Qualicum Beach.
I was a devoted patient of Dr. Marlene Van Der Wayde before and after she took on the practice at the Oceanside Health Centre.
The challenges of giving the level of care she was known for in her private practice was one of the reasons she chose to return to that type of medicine.
In this area with such a high degree of long-term care challenges, we need to attract doctors who have a specialty in senior care issues. For most doctors, this is exhausting care and would burn out a family doctor very quickly.
The population is aging and medical schools have to get on board quickly to train new physicians to answer this challenge not just in our community but all over Canada.
If we want more primary care doctors we have to be prepared to assist them with funding for nurses who will lighten their load and make it easier to practise with care and concern and not rush patients through a visit to keep their numbers up.
Sandra DigrasParksville