Harry Lali (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By James Peters

COVID-19

Former Merritt MLA calls on province to open up residencies for foreign-trained doctors

Mar 25, 2020 | 4:51 PM

KAMLOOPS — A former MLA for the Merritt area is calling on the governments of Canada and B.C. to open up more residency spaces for foreign-trained doctors.

Harry Lali represented the Merritt area during four out of five terms between 1991 and 2013.

Lali told CFJC Today opening up new residency spaces would add much-needed capacity.

“This is the opportune time to now open up more residencies in all the sites, not just here in British Columbia but across the country, to make the entry for foreign-trained Canadian doctors to actually get their residencies across this country.”

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Canadians who train outside of the country have long encountered difficulties gaining residency spots once they return home. Lali believes government should relax restrictions during the COVID-19 crisis.

“In British Columbia here, there are 14 sites that UBC deals with in terms of their residencies. Royal Inland here is one of them and Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt is another one,” said Lali. “And we have a shortage, obviously, of doctors — especially in all of those communities like Merritt, Logan Lake, Princeton, etc. within the vicinity here.

“They’ve recalled retired doctors. Most doctors who have retired are past the age of 65 and one of the reasons they’ve retired is because of health reasons. They’re a group of people who are most at risk.”

Lali says he has reached out to his former NDP caucus colleagues, such as Health Minister Adrian Dix, as well as MLAs Harry Bains and Raj Chouhan. He says he has also received words of support from former B.C. Liberal minister of health Terry Lake.

Not only that, Lali says there is precedent for the move elsewhere in the world, including Ireland and India.

“I’m putting this forward not as a negative criticism of anybody. It’s actually a positive input to both the premier of British Columbia and also the prime minister of Canada to be able to do this because we have the need,” said Lali. “Let’s act proactively rather than react when the situation gets out of control.”

“Across the world, you’re seeing opportunities opening up — and it’s time for Canada and British Columbia to open up as well.”

(Correction: An earlier version of this story stated Lali had reached out to Premier John Horgan. That is incorrect and the reference has been removed.)