Quality and availability of medicine in Kelowna

[cori]

We are a senior couple planning to move to Kelowna. We read that it was difficult just to find a doctor available who will accept new clients.
Not being used to the Canadian health system, and especially because we are seniors, we are really interested to have your opinion about the level, the quality of the medicine in Kelowna and the easiness to have available doctors or specialists when needed.

For exemple, in case of need of a surgery is there a waiting delay for lack of availability, facilities or surgeons?

What are the problems you had to face or had to deal with when your health was in problem?

Are hospitals overloaded? modern/ well equipped? with qualified teams?

Is the relationship with the administration and health services efficient and correct?

And finally are there positive points, and if so what are they?

I stand from the perspective of adult medicine, not for children.

Thank you in advance for your opinions and experience

[Lady tehMa]

I'm more or less content. The system would work better if people would take their health into their own hands. Some people in emerg really don't need to be there.

I was seeing a specialist in town, he died and his practice was absorbed by the other specialist here. It took over two years for them to call me. In the meantime I went to my doc and said "I'll travel". Got put on the wait-list for a doc in Kamloops, was called in 6 weeks and was feeling tons better (and had 3 visits under my belt) by the time the other doc's office called me up.

My husband was diagnosed for cataract surgery in Dec. Consultation with local specialist in Jan. Surgery is next week.

My sis went in for her regular mammogram and they discovered cancer. A week and a half later she had a double mastectomy. She's healing and doing well.

The system does do triage, and tries to put the more desperate cases first.

It depends on how busy the specialist is. Some disciplines are wait-listed out the wazoo. There is a growing number of private clinics for those with the money who don't want to wait.

My father is in a small town with no hospital and was brought here with heart issues. He had no complaints at quality of care. Now he comes to town two to three times a year to visit his various specialists. They seem to be taking good care of him, as he is doing better than he has in recent years.

You will have difficulties finding a family doctor. Persistence and politeness is key. After mine retired (and couldn't find someone to take on his practice) it took 3 months of patient door knocking before I found someone who would take my family of 4 on.

As for positive points, there are some truly great people working in the system. Some are practically saints. Also, ease of access is not bad. Walk-in will tell you straight up if you need emerg. The only down side is you will probably have some wait times there unless they figure you're bad enough to jump the queue. I find that often walk in staff is overworked and have the brunt of the emotions taken out on them. A little politeness and sympathy tends to make the wait easier. It won't cause you to be bumped ahead unless your condition warrants it though.

If you are coming from another country, I believe there is a waiting period before you are eligible for medical, but I'm not sure. You may want to look into that.

[Bsuds]

A lot of the information you are looking for is here.

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id ... C5657399EA

[cori]

Thank you very much for your info and experience sharing, which we highly appreciate..

I understand the main and first fight will be for finding a family doctor.

In the country where we are now resident, we benefit from a private insurance and can go wherever we want and whenever we need with any doctor and service, which are generally available within a 48 Hour to one week delay... when it is not urgent. And the insurance refund almost all the costs, drugs, dentist, glasses etc..

The insurance cost us about 1200$ per month, but as there is no income tax here, when comparing with our future cost of living in Canada, it is for us as if the tax we would pay there were covering our insurance cost here.

As a choice we prefer to pay some 15000$/year for our health than the same amount for tax, but indeed Kelowna would offer some other advantages so we have to compute a little more our criterias.



Best regards

[GordonH]

You can get extended medical here (link below is 1 of many companies)
http://www.pac.bluecross.ca/

[I Think]

BC is one of the two worst provinces for wait times for surgery.

In December 2005, health ministers issued the following wait time benchmarks:
• Hip replacements within 26 weeks;
• Knee replacements within 26 weeks;
• Surgical repair of hip fracture within 48 hours;
• Surgery to remove cataracts within 16 weeks for patients who are at high risk;
• Cardiac bypass surgery within 2 to 26 weeks, depending on how urgently care is required; and
• Radiation therapy to treat cancer within four weeks of patients being ready to treat.

My friend may be waiting up to two or three years for surgury that is supposed to be done within 6 months.
https://secure.cihi.ca/free_products/Wa ... 011_en.pdf

[Bsuds]

It can sometimes be done sooner if the patient is willing to go elsewhere to get it done. A friend was waiting in Kelowna for back surgery and was told it would be awhile. He checked with a Dr in Victoria and they scheduled him for a couple of months down the road.
When he called the Surgeon in Kelowna to tell him he was going elsewhere they all of a sudden got him in here.

My wife was told 1-2 years for gall bladder surgery and got it done in White Rock in 3 months.

[I Think]

I was on a list for gall bladder in Delta, had to wait 3 months.
My doctor told me "If it gets too bad, and you just cant take it any longer, go to the ER and fall on the floor. They will take care of it immediately, and you will get the same care".

[flamingfingers]

Moving here from a foreign country, you will have to purchase health insurance for 3 months before you can apply for MSP. When I repatriated, I got health insurance from BCAA for those 3 months which was rather costly; however, if you are older, health insurance is a must!

[I Think]

Any one know what happens if an uninsured poor person shows up at the hospital?

Here is a little anecdote, many many years ago when our hero was 16, and had divorced his parential home, he got injured playing rugby with a university team. Our hero was hospitalized for about 3 days & then released and told to go to the accounting office. When asked for his insurance he answered "I have none" "well you will have to pay cash" she said, our hero said "I have none" so the book keeper said, "you are not leaving here until you pay" "OK" was our hero's reply. "go and sit over there" she said,
after about 20 minutes she said "go on, get out, you can go" Our hero departed happily.