LETTERS – Bring back nurses’ residences to help fill vacancies

From what I have been reading the biggest deterrent to doctors wanting to go into family practice is the cost of overhead to open a practice.

So… build clinics associated with different hospitals with doctors’ offices equipped with everything they need. Hire receptionists, nurse practitioners etc., that work for the appropriate health division and provide their services free to the doctors.

There are empty buildings that could be converted to these clinics as well. i.e., the old library in Oliver. For existing family practises, buy the equipment that the doctors have purchased to relieve them of any related debt.

Secondly, hospitals, like the one in Grand Forks, have had to eliminate over-night stays due to the shortage of nurses. I have been told that lots of qualified nurses have applied and have been accepted but have had to turn down the offer because they couldn’t afford a place to live.

So…, bring back the nurses’ residences that used to be prevalent in the 70’s. I remember the one in Trail that housed mostly Philippine nurses who worked at the Trail hospital.

I of course don’t know the whole story and realize that this would be a huge cost, but BC and most of Canada that was once the envy of other countries of our health care should be completely ashamed of what has happened and where we are now.

There are people in Oliver that have been on the doctors wait list for 6 years or longer. We pretty much must wait until somebody dies to move up the list. Absolutely unacceptable.

RICK IRVINE
Oliver