EDITORIAL – Doctor-incentive plan amounts to robbing Peter to pay Paul
An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
THE DOCTOR SHORTAGE was the subject of a presentation to Kamloops City council on Tuesday that was both highly encouraging and decidedly depressing.
The Royal Inland Hospital Foundation appeared as a delegation to propose a partnership with the City in a campaign to attract more doctors to the area. What they suggest isn’t just some namby pamby promotional campaign touting the wonders of Kamloops and region.
No, it’s a very specific, results-oriented plan to give physicians reasons to come here. Basics such as finding a good place to buy or rent, help in setting up an office and business, maybe some tax incentives.
And we seldom think about the fact that even doctors need doctors.
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
It’s the acute shortage of GP’s that is the big problem. For freshly minted docs, it’s not a bad idea to offer financial help because the way the business model is these days, such people may opt out of being a GP and end up working in a clinic (or for Telus). In many cases, you’re not competing against other cities, you’re competing with the more lucrative options a doctor has.