COLLINS: Band-Aids will be the next thing in short supply

First problem – elected officials. Starting with the minister.

I thought Adrian Dix would be able to come up with a vision. He hasn’t. It’s like he throws things against the wall to see what sticks. And then he takes what sticks and runs with it, touting it as “The Future of Medicine.”

This week, the health minister announced a plan to pay residents for five years at a set salary if they practice in the province for five years. There is student loan forgiveness and help with overhead. But if you talk to the docs, they will tell you the biggest problem is the fee-for-service model that has governed family practice for far too long.

There is still much we haven’t been told yet about the new plan. Will these new docs be asked or required to practice in rural areas or northern communities? How does this tie in with previous ideas for Urgent Care clinics or the use of nurse practitioners or full care facilities?

The health minister’s announcement was sprung on doctors, apparently without any forewarning. Great way to find a solution. The government wants you to know they’re trying to fix the problem so they’re springing these plans to show you they care.

The plans come and go but there is no long-term solution. And there won’t be because there is way too much political interference and not enough honest discussion. At every level.

I have made this suggestion for 20 years and it’s always fallen on deaf ears. I don’t think it’s that the idea doesn’t have merit, it’s more that the individual groups are more caught up in protecting their own turf than protecting the needs of those they serve.

And until that changes, we will just keep using our Band-Aid supply until we don’t have anymore.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

Doug Collins has had a wide background in the broadcast industry, having done virtually every type of news and sports broadcasting, including news anchor, sports play-by-play, and editorialist. His “One Man’s Opinion” aired on TV from 1973- 2013. He retired from his management roles in the station in October 2018 but continues to write his column. In 2019, Doug was awarded the Freedom of the City, the highest honour a municipality can bestow upon a resident or organization.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Doug Collins

COLLINS: Band-Aids will be the next thing in short supply

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