The Prince George Citizen

It stinks when doctors cut patients

- Wanda Jones Prince George

More people should write in and shed light on the lack of care being given by today’s doctors to their patients. In countries like Scotland, being a doctor is not an overpriced privilege, it is just another career, but one followed by a special few that genuinely care about their profession.

After the doctors of Canada were refused the same pension benefit bestowed on our Parliament they began a gradual shift towards taking control where they could. The biggest one of those is (according to the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons) “Doctors are within their rights to terminate a relationsh­ip with a patient so long as it doesn’t put the patient’s life in jeopardy.”

This is a much abused right that today’s doctor uses to extreme. Rather than sharing the burden of caring for the population of the community they chose to settle in, they abuse their right to pick and choose whom they want to take on as a patient, leaving a large percentage of the community without a family doctor.

I myself had the privilege of having a wonderful doctor for approximat­ely 25 years. He unfortunat­ely sold his practice and moved to Kamloops.

My first visit (to my new doctor) was to get a physician’s signature on a form required by a life insurance company.

After waiting the required 15-20 minutes I was shown into the patient interview room for another 5-10 minutes.

Upon entering the room, the doctor did not introduce herself, she did not ask what she could do for me, she just pointed her finger at me and in a loud voice said I could not come into her office smelling like that.

Apparently she is scent sensitive and she could smell something on me. I apologized and told her I had not been made aware of that and asked if she wanted me to leave.

She said no she would try to work through it. She made me sit on the other side of her large patient room.

A few weeks later I was informed the paperwork was filled out wrong and I had to visit my doctor to correct the paperwork. I made sure I had a bath with non-fragrant anything.

After the required waiting time yet again, the doctor walked into the patient interview room. She did not introduce herself, say hi, and ask what I was there for. She looked at me and in a loud voice said I could not come into her office smelling, that I must take a shower. I asked her to fill out and sign the paperwork and left. I have not returned to her office – it has been approximat­ely five years.

We as patients over-abuse the medical system. We go to doctors for every little sniffle, ache and pain. We need to take more accountabi­lity for our health. If we quit going to the doctors for things we can look after ourselves, we will take the burden off the doctors and hospital emergency rooms. Then maybe they will be financiall­y hungry enough to see a patient that genuinely needs their care.

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