Doctors Joan Rosenberg and Dan OB次元官网网址機onnell have seen their share of medical emergencies.
OB次元官网网址機onnell has had to amputate toes, sew a manB次元官网网址檚 arm back together after it had been bitten by a shark, assist in the removal an arrow from a womanB次元官网网址檚 neck after she was shot by her husband, and helped people suffering a heart attack or stroke.
Working in various rural and remote communities around the province and Nunavut, the duo are responsible for providing a wide variety of medical care to dozens of residents B次元官网网址� the catch? TheyB次元官网网址檙e often working by themselves.
B次元官网网址淥ne minute youB次元官网网址檙e counselling someone whose desperately sad and the next moment youB次元官网网址檙e dealing with some who had a bug crawl into their ear, and the next person has a piece of metal stuck in their eyeball,B次元官网网址� OB次元官网网址機onnell said.
B次元官网网址淵ou never know whatB次元官网网址檚 going to come in the door. YouB次元官网网址檙e wandering from being a pediatrician to a gynecologist because someoneB次元官网网址檚 having a miscarriage to someone whose having a baby thatB次元官网网址檚 not meant to be delivered there.B次元官网网址�
The Metchosin residents are part of the B.C. governmentB次元官网网址檚 rural GP locum program, in which doctors relieve those working in rural and remote B.C. and Nunavut for weeks at a time.
The duo had a family practice which they ran out of their home on Kangaroo Road for over two decades. But after working 24/7 they became worn out and found another doctor willing to take on all of their patients, so they decided to retire.
But Rosenberg and OB次元官网网址機onnell still missed working in the medical field and saw a need for giving rural doctors well deserved relief. It was then they decided to sign up for the program.
For the past six years the duo have been travelling together and separately to mostly rural and Indigenous communities to provide care to many who very rarely have the chance to see a physician.
Depending on the community their shifts vary from eight to 10 hours or as much as 60 hours in a row, working in the clinic or hospital (both are usually close to one another).
While they usually deal with minor medical problems such as flus, there are some major ones as well.
For example, when OB次元官网网址機onnell was working in a logging town, a man had been struck by a tree and had massive internal bleeding and multiple fractures. OB次元官网网址機onnell had to give him all the blood in town, which was about eight litres and he was medivaced to Vancouver. The logger lived another couple of weeks before he succumbed to his injuries.
OB次元官网网址機onnell said itB次元官网网址檚 difficult to lose patients, but acknowledging that they did the best they could under the circumstances helps him move on.
B次元官网网址淚f you miss something and get into trouble, you make sure you own it and get on with it. You just acknowledge where youB次元官网网址檙e weak and get more information,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淵ou just donB次元官网网址檛 have the same skills that an expert would have in the city. You feel badly, because you think B次元官网网址榠f I was only that good, this wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have happened.B次元官网网址� You also have to think B次元官网网址榳ell, I am the best option that they have even though IB次元官网网址檓 not a specialist B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 the reality of it.B次元官网网址�
Rosenberg said a lot of their work has to do with repairing the relationship between Indigenous people and the health care system.
B次元官网网址淧eople know a lot of the residential school system, but the hospitals were almost the exact same in the way that the Indigenous populations were treated,B次元官网网址� Rosenberg said.
B次元官网网址淭he nuts and bolts of what we do is work with people who have chronic health problems for so many reasons that it can be overwhelming. The beauty of what we do is we donB次元官网网址檛 get overwhelmed because we take weeks off and then we come back to it and we can stay really patient and kind because thatB次元官网网址檚 really what is needed in these communities. ThatB次元官网网址檚 where the work is.B次元官网网址�
And theyB次元官网网址檙e showing no signs of slowing down. In July, OB次元官网网址機onnell is also heading to Masset and Rosenberg will be heading to the Nass Valley (roughly 100 kilometres north of Terrace) in July, and both will be heading to Nunavut in August.
Like us on and follow us on
kendra.wong@goldstream
