If you as Smithereens are suffering from any sort of orthopaedic issues, you’re not the only one. No, this has nothing to do with teeth so don’t get it confused with orthodontists.
A survey released by the Province of BC says wait times here in the North-West are fairly equal to the rest of beautiful BC. However, one non-beautiful thing is the fact that wait times from consultation to surgery can take upwards of a year. The numbers of 4100 patients across the province were made public to show how obnoxious the wait times can be.
Dr. Kevin Wing is the former president of the British Columbia Orthopaedic Association (BCOA) and currently serves as an orthopaedic surgeon out of the St.Pauls Hospital in Vancouver while also spending time as a clinical orthopaedic professor at the University of British Columbia. He says over his years as a medical professional, wait times are something that have been an on-going issue ever since his medical profession began 17 years ago.
Photo Courtesy: BC Foot and Ankle
“For most of my career there has been a difficulty for patients to access timely consultation and surgeries. Unfortunately for those in the North region of BC, longer wait times are due to many complex issues such as not having enough Dr’s available as well as geographical isolation.”
So what does the fair Dr. Wing offer as a solution to the issue? Well its simple, the province needs a better game plan to tackle the problem and help us out not only here in the North-West but the province as an entirety.
“We simply think the Ministry of Health has to do more to provide for citizens of the province. A year-long is too long on an aging body. If the people in the North-West want to make a difference and see change, they should approach their local town council to have their voices heard.”