Dr. AJ - The Chronicle Herald

Podcast Column 19 Understanding The Impact Of Trauma On Humans by Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan

Podcast Column 18 Substance Use , Misuse And Addiction by Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan

Domino Thirteen: What Supports The Health Of Individuals And Their Communities? by Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan

Domino Twelve: How did we arrive here? Understanding the impact of the Flexner report. by Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan

Our Understanding Of What Heals by Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan

Podcast Column 11 Lessons Learned With E - Health Innovation Part III by Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan

Domino Eight: Lessons learned with e-health innovation in primary care by Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan

Domino Seven: Reforming Primary Care in Nova Scotia

Podcast Column 6 Medicare And Economics Of Small Business by Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan

Domino four: Supply, demand, sustaining the workforce and peeling through layers of the health onion.

Headlines are created from “stunning” declarations such as this, when in reality, citizens in the province have been struggling to find a family doctor and experience long wait times for specialist services. Clearly the headlines and the numbers alone are not telling the whole story. Let us go to the source of the numbers in this report and dissect the methods used to get these numbers.

We are familiar with the call for cuts to health-care funding by provincial and federal governments. During 2003-2009, the real average growth rate per capita for health spending in Canada was 3.15 per cent, as per OECD health data. That rise was faster than the nation’s economic growth.

Primary care, secondary care, tertiary care, quaternary care: these labels group our available health services, to match investigations and treatments with the severity and complexity of health conditions. Primary care refers to prevention and promotion activities, care by family doctors, nurse practitioners, family practice nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and others.

At present, Nova Scotia Health Authority is well aware of the devastating loss of family doctors and specialists from Cape Breton, since 2012, that has left thousands without access to primary care services. A recent count showed 30 physicians have left since the summer and 60 physician positions are under threat.

What people universally expect is to have access to doctors, pharmacists, mental health and physical therapists when they feel ill or have been injured. They expect tests will be done, diagnoses made, treatment started and that they will return to good health.