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LETTER: Is a medical catastrophe within sight?

Larry Coté expresses concern for the doctor shortage in Niagara Region
Larry-Cote
Larry Coté. Submitted Photo

This article was submitted to ThoroldNews by Larry Coté. He is a retired business professor and has been awarded a Governor General’s Medal for his community contributions.

There is a crisis ruminating in Niagara, that if not attended to in a timely and effective fashion, may soon reach catastrophe on the disaster scale. This particular crisis is more commonly known as ‘the doctor shortage.’ According to the Regional Health officials and others, this estimated deficiency is somewhere just under 100 doctors across a range of specialties.

That number doesn’t seem to be that disconcerting unless you are one of the nearly 30 per cent of Niagara residents who can’t connect with a doctor to treat their families. These people depend on a sparse number of ‘clinics’ and the hospital emergency wards to meet their medical needs. ER wait times are posted on the internet and are another indicator of the seriousness of this issue. Wait times in the order of hours are the norm and at times can be six or more agonizing hours.

Many of these medical issues could be treated at a doctor’s office – if more were available.

To make matters worse, a significant number of the local medical practitioners are near or past the retirement age. They will literally be taking down their shingle for good in the very near future.

In an effort to address this crisis, the Region established a medical recruitment unit as far back as 2001 and rejigged the name and moderately reconstituted the group in 2011. Despite having such an attack force, the crisis in the Region does not seem to be assuaged and maybe even worsening. The rate of losing doctors appears to be greater than the number of new practitioners.

Hello? Should this not raise alarm bells at the Region?

Likely, there are a number of facets that contribute to that ‘net loss’ figure at play here. But, more importantly, Niagara’s political leaders need to address this issue as a matter of priority NOW. The status quo is grossly insufficient. A whole new strategy is warranted. Simply stated, the current strategy is just not working and needs be replaced by bolder more aggressive measures.

A new and effective marketing strategy to promote Niagara’s USP (marketing speak for unique selling propositions) as these appeal to prospective doctors as top-of-mind predilections. The new strategy must employ more aggressive promotional tactics. Those who might pooh pooh such tactics simply do not recognize the effectiveness of promotion nor the seriousness of this issue. Frankly speaking, it’s ‘a dog-eat-dog’ out there when in a competitive environment.

A cursory look at the Region’s Medical Recruitment and Retention website reveals – well, it is nice. But, unfortunately and as current results indicate, ‘nice’ just doesn’t cut it. With an almost wholly new Regional Council, maybe this new group will recognize the urgency and need to reinvigorate Niagara’s medical recruitment organization and efforts. The yardstick is a simple one. If supply doesn’t make its way toward meeting demand then the strategy isn’t working and excuses don’t matter.

Meanwhile, best you stay healthy and hope when your time of medical need arises, then the resources will be there. Can you count on the Regional Council to insure that scenario?

Larry Coté
Retired business professor