Vancouver Island senior places ad seeking doctor for her husband

A couple on Vancouver Island is going to extreme lengths to try and find help, as B.C.’s doctor shortage appears to hit a new low.

Almost everyone saw a small, but effective, ad in a Vancouver Island-based newspaper over the long weekend, as the pair tried an unorthodox method to try to find a physician.

The ad was placed by Janet Mort for her husband of 51 years, Michael.

She says he has a complicated medical history, which includes previously having brain surgery. He takes a lot of medication and last week the couple’s pharmacy informed them nine of his prescriptions had run out, which prompted their public appeal for a doctor to have them renewed.

This was on page A2 of yesterday’s @timescolonist. Something has to be done in this province. This is unacceptable. #yyj #yyjpoli #bcpoli #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/yYlvcuVhD2

— Jeremy Zhao (@jzfromcalgary) July 31, 2022

“[The prescriptions] are very serious and he could die without them,” says Mort. “I called the same day [to] Telus Health MyCare to say, ‘I need a doctor to renew Michael’s prescriptions,’ and they told me they had no foreseeable doctor’s appointments anytime in the future and I should check their website daily.”

Their doctor retired last year and since then she says she’s been checking walk-in clinic availabilities but hasn’t been able to find anything.

“Started dialling at 8:30 a.m., they said, ‘Dial as frequently as you can and just keep dialling.’ And by 9:15 a.m., every walk-in centre was closed and there was a message saying, ‘We’re full for today, try tomorrow.’ That’s been going on since Christmas.”

Since then, Mort says her husband has developed what she describes as frightening symptoms related to his prostate and bladder. She says it’s not bad enough to take him to the emergency room, but she wants him to have a referral to see a urologist.

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Holding back tears, Mort told CityNews she felt shame in posting the ad and asking for help in such a public way, but she didn’t know what else to do.

“I had three goals when I put the ad in the paper and my number one was: get Michael’s prescriptions, because he’s going to die without them. My number two goal was getting him a doctor to get him a referral and my number three goal was tell the world how bad it is … there are so many people out there who are just like us, who have no doctor.”

She adds there are three or four doctors who’ve come forward since seeing the ad to let her know they’re not taking new patients but can try to help if the couple is desperate.

However, Mort is not confident Michael will get the help he needs soon.

“I tried everything I could … but I had to do it because there was no other option. The ad went in, and I was terrified of the response, but it’s been nothing but positive,” she explained.

“This is a nightmare and I’m desperate. There’s nobody to help him. He’s 82 years old … if we had a doctor who could refer him to a urologist, and God knows how long that would take, he could live years more and I want him to — we’re best friends.”

As of now, there are about one million British Columbians who don’t have a family doctor, according to Doctors of BC.

-With files from Dean Recksiedler