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Specialty care
Why is our health care system and government broken?
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Dr. Zafar Essak, MD - Vancouver, BC - October 6, 2024
I decided to write a series of posts covering different aspects of our health care system and government to help us apply our thinking to the problems and solutions. We need a change in our expectations of professional leaders, government leaders and how government works if we are to save our publicly funded health care system and our democratic rights.
Part 1. How health care administration over took funding for doctors.
Part 2. Early closure of debate erodes our parliamentary democracy.
Part 3. The importance of open dialog and informed consent.
Stay tuned for more to come.
Why is our health care system and government broken? Part 1.
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Dr. Zafar Essak, MD - Vancouver, BC - October 6, 2024.
Part 1 in a series covering different aspects of our health care system and government. Let’s apply our thinking to the problems and solutions.
Part 1. How health care administration over took funding for doctors.
Every day we hear reports that our health care system is broken and having difficulty keeping up with the health needs of patients and people throughout BC and across the country. Politicians say it’s a lot of unexpected circumstances, they’re doing the best that can be done; they're following what the experts are telling them, and we should trust them to carry on with it.
Are these unexpected circumstances or are they foreseeable outcomes?
Documentary: Waiting To Die - Canada's Health Care Crisis
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A new one hour documentary by Aaron Gunn, "Waiting To Die - Canada's Health Care Crisis" was released yesterday (August 14, 2023) and in the first day it had more than 23,000 views and more than 700 comments from people sharing their own experiences and thoughts.
Three Reasons for a Chat with Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC Health Minister Adrian Dix and BC Premier David Eby
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Dr. Zafar Essak, MD - Vancouver, BC - April 5, 2023
Having worked for 40 years as a family physician in BC, when I heard the media announcements recently: that on April 3, 2023 vaccine mandates will be lifted on BC public service government workers but not on health care workers until it can become a permanent condition of work in health care, and that we may see only combined vaccines in the fall; it struck me that it’s time we had a real chat. This can’t wait.
Politics is often seen as a glamorous, shiny and sometimes slimy affair. But, seriously, politics is about how we make collective decisions and manage the affairs of our society in our democracy.
There are three things I believe we need to talk about now:
More than 10,000 people sign petition to repeal BC's Bill 36
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Vancouver, BC - February 13, 2023.
A petition to repeal BC's Bill 36 - Health Professions and Occupations Act has already gathered more than 10,800 signatures. It was presented to the BC Parliament when the session resumed earlier this month. More signatures are still being collected and will be presented to the House later. It is already one of the largest petitions introduced to the BC Legislature.
Last chance to save BC's crumbling health care system may rest with the silent majority of physicians defeating the PMA
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Opinion
Dr Z. Essak, MD - Vancouver, BC - November 27, 2022.
The BC health care system continues to show larger cracks as it crumbles. Are patients and doctors to believe that the BC NDP Government and the Association of the Doctors of BC have a plan to fix it? You better think again. There is nothing in the Physician Master Agreement (PMA) that is going to fix our health care system. It is not going to restore longitudinal care. It doesn't even pretend to offer a GP for everyone, or even access to timely specialist care or surgery.
While patients are confused as to what will save health care, are doctors blinded by the glitter thrown in their faces? The only hope in sight is if the silent majority of physicians, the seventy percent who don't usually vote, decide this week to cast their vote against the PMA, to Vote "NO" to the PMA, and send a strong message to Government and their own leaders this is not a good fix.
Dr Ian McWhinney, Canada's "Founding Father of Family Medicine"
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Dr Ian R. McWhinney was an English physician and academic who moved to the University of Western Ontario as the first chair of family medicine in Canada where he started the country's first Department of Family Medicine in 1968. He became known in Canada and around the world as the "Father of Family Medicine".
He published over 100 articles during his lifetime and is well known for his influential book, Textbook of Family Medicine. The opening chapter: The Origins of Family Medicine, provides a brief history of medicine including the emergence and need for Family Medicine.
Larry saves the Canadian healthcare system - a musical satire
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Dr D. Naismith, Vernon BC, Jun 22, 2022
This is an enjoyable musical satire. Each episode is five minutes or so and covers different aspects of the healthcare system from the crisis in lack of family doctors to overcrowded emergency departments, patients in hallways and more. An interesting take on the Canadian healthcare system problems and the production is well done judging from the first four episodes released.
2018 Doctors of BC President-Elect election debate
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2018-05-14 Vancouver, BC Dr Z. Essak, MD
A must see. The 2018 Annual Dr Jim Busser Memorial election debate was live video streamed on May 9 and can be viewed anytime through the Vancouver Medical Association website (link below).
Kudos to Dr Charles Webb for keeping alive the memory and spirit of Dr Jim Busser. Kudos also to the moderator Dr Arun Garg encouraging questions and kudos to the participants present and remote for asking questions.
Beyond the opening formalities it gets interesting as questions are asked on what more should we be doing for future physicians, the lack of access, what are the main problems, use of allied professionals and physician extenders.
Are medical errors the third leading cause of death or disability and what can we do to protect ourselves?
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Dr Z. Essak, MD - Vancouver BC - March 4, 2018
The TEDx Stanley Park event at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver on Saturday March 3, 2018 was incredible with 13 (a bakers dozen) memorable and inspiring speakers and 4 brief, fun energerizer programs to keep the audience engaged. Two of the presentations addressed medical errors.
With cancer as the leading cause of death and heart disease as the second leading cause, medical errors are referred to by some as the third leading cause of death and disability.
Whether errors are third or not, it makes sense that anything that helps to reduce or prevent medical errors is worth pursuing. Every error that can be prevented has direct benefit to individuals and their families.
