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COMMENTARY: Thou shalt not speak out against Health P.E.I.

As a former Health P.E.I. employee, the sacred, cardinal rule is thou shalt never speak publicly against the holy institution of Health P.E.I. Better that you should be infested with the fleas of a thousand camels than speak out against the almighty and only health-care institution here on P.E.I.  Well, it seems a physician has violated the cardinal rule after vainly writing three lengthy, articulate letters carefully outlining the many hardships being foisted upon P.E.I. family physicians by the ruling class of Health P.E.I.

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You can ask just about any Islander what they think is wrong with Health P.E.I. and most will have an answer. One of the deficiencies this doctor highlighted was recruitment. I’ve been hearing about the recruitment problems from some other people. I talked with the daughter of a friend a while back who was born and raised on P.E.I. She practises a much-needed specialty. Of course, she had to go to medical school off-Island. Upon graduation, she was anxious to find employment on the Island. She applied for a position here. She told me she was treated so badly by the recruitment process through Health P.E.I. that she ended up accepting a position with another Maritime province. She lives on P.E.I. with the love of her life and commutes to another province to work.

It would be one thing if this friend was an oddity, but she’s not. I have friends who are physicians – ones who are obeying the cardinal rule of not speaking out about Health P.E.I. However, they’ve told me horror stories about really smart, high-functioning, Island kids attending Canadian medical schools who can’t get a return phone call from recruiters at Health P.E.I. I’ve heard stories about candidates who come for an interview and there isn’t anyone from recruitment present at the interview.

And that physician who spoke out? She loves her job. She loves her patients. She’s leaving P.E.I. because she’s no longer willing to tolerate how she’s been treated by Health P.E.I.

‘The trust has been broken’: Summerside doctor explains decision to leave P.E.I.

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I googled who oversees recruitment and retention at Health P.E.I. and found two recent CBC interviews with the director of workforce recruitment. As I watched him tout the “very nimble, quick team … we act fast” service provided by the recruitment office, I kept thinking of what I’ve heard being described as a shambles. The director touted the “modern marketing practices to reach potential new hires” as I thought of those P.E.I. kids who can’t even get a call back. My predominant reaction was this director must have a background in entertainment.

That thought led me to google his name and resume. Bingo! The first thing to come up was employment listing as manager – Cineplex in Halifax. Yes, the current director of workforce recruitment for Health P.E.I. has about eight years of theatre management experience. I don’t want to diminish the director’s skills. He spent three years working at St. Mary’s University in recruitment and marketing. He was hired by Health P.E.I. as a physician recruitment co-ordinator. But come on, folks, the top brass at Health P.E.I. couldn’t find anyone with experience working in the health-care industry to put in charge of workforce recruitment for physicians? No candidates for the position had experience working with physicians?

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Health P.E.I. keeps talking about how difficult it is to recruit physicians – claiming it’s difficult for every province. It appears HPEI fails to realize the word is out – physicians are unwilling to come to P.E.I. to work because they know how doctors are being treated here. It appears administration at Health P.E.I.  and the politicians either need a thorough eye exam so they can see reality or a thorough mental status exam to determine if they are experiencing delusions, or perhaps the organization – primarily those who are running it – should submit to exploratory surgery to determine what is causing the major deterioration and dissatisfaction in the organization so an aggressive treatment plan can be developed to finally set the organization on a plan of recovery and improvement.

It’s time for those in charge to start thinking of doing what’s best for the most – and stop taking care of their friends and grabbing the next quick fix to substitute for state-of-the-art medical care and respect for medical professionals. HPEI and the politicians need to acknowledge health care on this Island is on life support.

While the Conservative party plays premier of the month, HPEI admin “out of towners” may be fleecing Islanders, doctors are fleeing HPIE, tired of having bureaucratic dung flung at them and too many Islanders may meet their undertaker before they meet their doctor. Don’t worry folks, you can always enjoy a cuppa while you mourn the loss of your loved ones due to under-supported medical care.

Laverne V. MacInnis, of Murray Harbour, P.E.I., is a retired psychotherapist who worked as an outpatient clinician in mental health and addictions.

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