Delta man captures struggle to see doctor in person
Posted July 21, 2022 6:59 pm.
Last Updated July 21, 2022 9:31 pm.
A Delta man has captured his long journey to see a doctor, when he went to four different walk-in clinics in one day and none were able to offer him in-person care.
Saxon Justin Gough captured the footage from his wheelchair camera, as he says he spent hours going to the clinics last Friday seeking treatment for an ear infection.
“I was totally shocked … I was totally shocked,” said Gough. “I’ve dealt with the medical system my whole life, with my ailments, so I’ve watched it from when I was a kid to now and our system has collapsed.”
Gough says none of the clinics he visited were able to provide him with in-person care, although some offered him a doctor – over the phone.
“It doesn’t help me, you gotta look at me, physically examine me,” he explained.
BC Health Care Matters, a grassroots patient advocacy group says it has serious concerns about virtual care and phone calls being depended on too heavily.
Camille Currie, founder of BC Health Care Matters, says they have to examine if individuals are able to get the best care when they aren’t face-to-face.
“We have fears for both patients as well as the medical practitioners, because if they’re making diagnosis … and they aren’t able to see the person in [their] entirety, then there are things that they might miss,” said Currie.
She’s also worried about the challenges seniors may face trying to get virtual care.
“Residents of British Columbia need timely access to a family doctor, and right now, not everyone has that, and that includes those that have a family doctor as well as those that don’t,” said Currie.
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Last year, the province’s health officials urged doctors to resume in-person visits but when CityNews shared Gough’s story with B.C.’s health minister, Adrian Dix acknowledged there are fewer in-person appointments available because of changes made when COVID-19 hit.
“The fiscal year that ended March 31, 2020, 97 per cent of MSP primary care appointments were in person,” said Dix. “And virtually overnight that went to one out of three in-person and at this time it’s 50 per cent in-person, so we’re looking at that and obviously working through that and talking to doctors of B.C. about that.”
After a painful weekend, Gough was able to finally get treated on Monday by his family doctor.
“It took a matter of 30 seconds, once I saw her, ‘What’s the problem?’, ‘My ear’, ‘Yup, badly infected, here’s your antibiotics, see you next time,’ and it’s just like, I spent the whole day going on the bus just for this,” said Gough.
“Just [the] overall experience with the medical system outside my GP or specialist is chaos. I feel sorry for people, it’s just nuts.”
