WATCH ABOVE: A new study suggests that those living on the West Island have it easier when it comes to searching for a doctor. But, as Rachel Lau found out, ‘ease’ may not be the right way to put it.
KIRKLAND – A study ordered by Quebec’s Health Ministry shows around 70 per cent of people on the West Island have a family doctor compared to just 50-60 per cent in the Plateau.
A mother of 3 young boys, Julia Genoni has lived on the West Island all her life and she has a family doctor.
In fact, she has three – one for herself, one for her husband, and a third for their kids.
Doctors in the West Island are so busy that none wanted to take on Julia’s entire family.
“It’s kind of hard to find a GP in this area,” said Genoni, who spends her days taking care of her children and updating her blog, Ask Mama MOE.
“Even though we’re in the West Island and there’s doctors available, most of them have a full list of patients. They’re usually booked and won’t take on new patients.”
Although the study ordered by Quebec’s Health Ministry shows around 70 per cent of people on the West Island have a family doctor compared to just 50-60 per cent in the Plateau, Julia said this doesn’t mean West Islanders have easier access.
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“I will wait at my GP’s office like I would wait at a clinic,” she said.
“It would take just as much time and she doesn’t always work ever day so sometimes I will actually opt to go to the clinic when I need to.”
Doctor Mitch Shulman noted that the family doctor shortage is the same across the island of Montreal.
He traces the problem back to government policies of the 1990’s where physicians were told to pack up shop or take a pay-cut.
“If you said tomorrow, no restrictions, family physicians can open up their practices, no penalties, no anything, you would be able to deal with the lack of physicians on the island of Montreal tomorrow without a problem, without an issue,” he said.
West Island mother Tina Wentzell said she believes the reason why more West Islanders seem to have GP’s than the rest of Montreal is due to working personal connections.
“I have a GP but he also sees my parents, my grandparents, my brother, the whole family,” she said.
Through her group West Island Mummies, Tina created a forum to help families find doctors – but even she doesn’t know what will happen when her GP retires.
“I don’t know what I would do,” said Wentzell.
“That’s the scary part because I’m afraid for that day to come where my GP’s not available and he retires and I’m stuck with nobody. It’s kind of a scary option.”
In the end, Julia credits luck, relentless searching and personal connections for the reasons why she now has a doctor to send her children to.
“The clouds opened up and we miraculously found one,” she said.
“But I would say that it was just really lucky.”
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