Member of Parliament for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, Frank Caputo is doing his part to recruit doctors to the region.
Caputo traveled through his constituency Wednesday, May 15 to introduce a promotional video intended to attract and recruit doctors to the unique “stress-relieving haven” of the region where they will get “more bang for their buck” with regards to property and housing prices while enjoying a more relaxed lifestyle not found in most large centres.
Visiting the towns of Barriere and 100 Mile House, Caputo offered his perspective on why he feels it’s time to take a new approach to doctor recruitment in the region he calls home.
“I was just getting so many letters and communications from constituents about this issue. Of course this is provincially regulated, but it’s my home area too and even if we get one doctor from this initiative I’ll be happy. I’ll tour potential doctors, I’ll pick them up at the airport, invite them for coffee or dinner. Whatever it takes.”
In the introduction leading up to presenting the video to a gathering in the District of Barriere council chambers, Caputo and his assistant were welcomed by mayor Ward Stamer and district councillor, Donna Kibble. Community residents, president of the North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo, Ed Salle,and Barriere and District Chamber of Commerce’s office manager Lianne Hamblin, were also on hand to hear about the MP’s thoughts on doctor recruitment in the region.
Prior to the showing, Caputo took questions informally with the group with mayor Stamer asking if government is looking at expanding nursing roles as they have done with pharmacists and nurse practitioners.
”Are there opportunities on a provincial or federal level to be able to allow nurses to do more? Especially on the initial triage stage.”
Caputo replied, “I think that would probably be strictly on the provincial level because that’s the regulator just like with pharmacies and things like that. For me this was a bit of a rare project as I was getting so many letters saying ‘we need doctors’ and I was so tired of saying, ‘We’ll go talk to the province’ that I felt like I had to do something.”
Caputo said there are close to 50,000 physicians who live in Canada, who aren’t practicing medicine “because there is no Canadian standard” being provincially regulated so “there is no threshold standard” and feels the issue needs to be approached in a different way.
“My goal here, is not to poach from the under-serviced area but perhaps there are people who live in larger service areas that might be attracted to the quality of life here. Look at Vancouver. How many people have moved from the Lower Mainland to the North Thompson or Cariboo looking for a quieter way of life. That impacts house prices and things like that,” said Caputo.
“I’m sure people would say we’d love to have more physicians here. I’m sure people would love what Barriere, Clearwater or 100 Mile House has to offer. My goal is to reach out to them with this video campaign and then secondarily hoping those people will send it to their foreign trade counterparts asking them in essence, ‘Hey do you want to come to Canada?’ My office will work with them in an advisory way such as; this is how you get your immigration paperwork in order, credentialing is on them, like medical licensing and things like that.”
He explained the doctor applying has to meet a level of care that is required in Canada and must be qualified.
“Even if this video attracts the interest of a few doctors and we gain even one or more, that will be a win. It certainly wouldn’t be a loss.”
The recruitment video is available on MP Caputo’s X, Facebook, and Instagram pages and through immediate access to it via his YouTube via a QR code or link.
