It's hard to see a doctor! This is an unspeakable pain for Chinese Canadians! Although you enjoy free medical care for all, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is more difficult to sign up for a family doctor than to ascend to the sky! Especially affected by the new crown epidemic, the clinic is overwhelmed, and family doctors have resigned and changed careers, making it even more difficult to find a family doctor
Today we will talk about this topic together. In addition to the recommendation of acquaintances and friends, what other ways to find a family doctor, Chinese friends with poor English, how to use free interpretation services to seek medical treatment?
Ontario Chinese lined up to grab doctors, and BC was also in a hurry
Currently, the shortage of family doctors is a common problem in Canada.
According to Daily hive, the pressure of the pandemic for many years, as well as the increase in retired doctors and the large number of young doctors who have switched careers, have made family doctors in the B.C. primary care department anxious!
Image from: Daily hive
A new immigrant friend of the editor, the family has landed in BC for nearly a year, although there are many friends recommended to introduce, but the family doctor has not yet been found. She said that fortunately, during this time, the family did not need to seek medical treatment, if it happened, especially if the child had a headache and brain fever, she really did not know what to do? When it comes to finding a family doctor, it makes people upset and anxious.
In Ontario, there was even a "pomp" of three or four hundred people queuing up to grab a family doctor.
According to Ming Pao, on March 15, after a Chinese doctor clinic in Wanjin Plaza, Ontario, Canada, issued a notice to recruit new patients, as many as 300 to 400 people lined up early in the morning to register. This grand situation also "alarmed" the mall, queuing up to assist the clinic to distribute the application form and then notifying them one by one, and the crowd slowly dissipated.
Pictured from: Ming Pao
Can't ask about finding a family. Say too much, it's all tears!
Ms. Leung, a citizen who was previously at the Walk-In Clinic, called last week to inquire when she learned that new patients were being admitted here. On March 15, she rushed here early in the morning, and when she arrived at 10:30 a.m., she was told that she had stopped receiving. The disappointment at that time was really indescribable!
Ask for medical english is not good! Free interpreters can help!
For Chinese people, it is very difficult to find a family doctor. Many Chinese are worried that their English is not good, even if they have no problem with daily listening and speaking, they also tend to find a Chinese family doctor, so that they will not fall into the confusion of unclear expression when describing medical terms when describing the disease.
Although there is a large influx of new immigrants, it is difficult to sign a Chinese family doctor.
However, what many Chinese people don't know is that they can actually use free interpretation services when seeking medical treatment. Xiaobian saw on the official website of the BC Health Bureau that emergency and community medical service institutions in major hospitals in BC will provide free online (video or telephone) interpretation services. Moreover, the service is very convenient and professional, and in many cases it is very timely and does not require an appointment. The service can be live, video call or online meeting.
Photo from: Bc Provincial Health Bureau official website
In addition, according to the "Canadian Nursing" public account, when doing imaging examinations in hospitals, there will also be multiple languages of artificial or voice robots to help medical personnel inform patients of operations, such as deep breathing, breathing and so on. Doctors' clinics, including specialist clinics, can also contact the provincial language services department to provide patients with free and timely online or booked translation services.
In addition, medical consultation services, including the 24-hour health hotline of 811 Provinces, can also be provided in more than 130 languages. Users only need to inform mandarin (Chinese) or Cantonese in English, and the staff will contact them for medical consultation in the language they want to use.
You can go to a family doctor or see a doctor in this way
If you are still on your way to finding a family doctor, we recommend that you try the following methods, which may be unexpected.
Option 1: Visit the Pathway Medical Directory
You can check out your family doctor in your community on the following website and get in touch with them.
Website: https://pathwaysmedicalcare.ca/
Screenshot from: Pathways
Option two: Visit the Division of Family Practice
Division of Family Practice, a community of family physicians, is a non-profit association of B.C. physicians and health departments through the General Practice Committee on General Practice. Here you may be able to learn more about family doctors. If there are new patients, make an appointment.
URL: https://www.divisionsbc.ca
截图自：Divisions of Family Practice
Option three: Go to the walk-in clinic
If you still can't find a family doctor in both ways, you can only go to the walk-in clinic or the Urgenc and Primary Care Centers (UPCCs) emergency care center for treatment. In addition, as you would like to say, when you go to the walk-in clinic, you can also ask the doctor if he is willing to accept you as his patient, and maybe solve the problem of the family doctor.
News Source:
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2022/03/17/bc-family-doctor-shortage-pandemic-crisis/
http://www.mingpaocanada.com/tor/htm/News/20220316/taa1_r.htm