Family doctor agrees to take on B.C. senior after wife places ad for help
A Central Saanich, B.C., woman is grateful that her desperate plea to find a family doctor for her ailing husband has been answered.
Janet Mort had been searching for a year for a family doctor who could simply refill her 82-year-old husband's prescriptions.
On Saturday, she took out an ad in the Times Colonist newspaper desperately seeking a general practitioner for her husband, Michael Mort.
Like so many in B.C., Michael had been without a doctor for six months. On top of that, his health complications mean he needs nine prescriptions that he was unable to fill.
The situation had Janet desperate to buy a newspaper ad for help.
"WANTED: BC Licensed Medical Doctor for Prescription Renewal," reads the ad.
"We will agree to any reasonable fee: Michael is worth it," the ad continues.
This photo, shared by CTV News Vancouver Island's Rob Buffam on Twitter, shows an ad placed by a B.C. couple in the print edition of the Victoria Time Colonist.
Fortunately, Janet's ad grew major attention online, generating hundreds of emails, and on Tuesday a doctor in the Victoria area agreed to take on Michael as a patient.
"I can't tell you how relieved I am, because we were on the precipice of a terrible situation," said Janet.
"If it weren't for my sweetie, none of this would be happening," said Michael. "She is the hero in this story."
But the Morts know that there's nearly a million other British Columbians who are living without a family doctor.
"That's tempered by guilt," said Janet. "I feel, 'Why me? Why Michael?' There's so many people out there, we've got hundreds of emails from people who are struggling just like we've been struggling."
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
B.C.'s top doctor says the Ministry of Health is working on solutions to the doctor shortage.
"We know that there has been a shortage and we've had a stretched healthcare system even before the pandemic, but it's made it worse," said provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on Tuesday.
"So I know this is something that the ministry is working on," she said.
In a statement, the province pledged to continue working on the doctor shortage and pointed to temporary solutions put in place, like the opening of new urgent primary care centres and funding for walk-in clinics.
B.C. Liberal MLA and Health Critic Shirley Bond says the elderly couple's situation is a reflection of B.C.'s struggling healthcare system and something many British Columbians are feeling "every single day in our province."
"I think all of us have to get more vocal about the situation we're in," said Janet.
"It was really hard. I will [say] how I felt the day I placed the ad, I was ashamed. I was ashamed that I had to put my family out there," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.