It’s pretty hard to sympathize with the College of Physicians and Surgeons over their concerns about the 145 foreign doctors who have been brought in to work in walk-in clinics in Calgary and Edmonton in the past two years.
Anyone who has spent three, four and even five hours sitting in a walk-in clinic waiting room crammed to the gills with patients, but with only one doctor on duty, will welcome the news that the clinics are doing something to ease the agony of waiting. So will anyone who has asked a clinic receptionist how long the wait is, and upon hearing the discouraging answer, has left the clinic, preferring to see if the problem will go away overnight.
Some of those patients who choose to go home rather than sit for hours in the waiting room might end up in the emergency room if their condition worsens, adding to the crowding at the hospital. Having more doctors at walk-in clinics ensures patients are treated in a timely way and helps prevent them from going to the ER.
As long as these doctors meet Canadian standards and are qualified to work here, their arrival is all to the good. And while some of them are family physicians, among their number are also pediatricians, internists and surgeons. If they are starting life in Canada working in a walk-in clinic and then move on to practise in their specialties, it will help shorten wait times in those areas.
Increasing the number of students graduating from Canadian medical schools is a solution, but it’s a very long-term one, given how many years it takes to be trained.
Albertans are sick of interminable waits for care. These doctors are helping to ease the burden. Good for the clinics for seeing the need and filling it.
