Alberta Medical Association sounds alarm over lack of available oncologists

Diane McCallum wrote a letter to AHS and Adriana LaGrange, Alberta's health minister, about her concerns over a lack of cancer treatment.The Alberta Medical Association is expressing deep concerns to the provincial government over a lack of oncologists needed to provide cancer care to keep up with population growth.

“Up to 200,000 people is really like adding a Red Deer or Medicine Hat each year and not having the hospitals and the doctors to care for them, right? We need to have the infrastructure built, no question we need the specialized machinery and technology, but more than anything we need human beings given the actual care.”

“We need these oncologists because a patient who might have been a candidate for an exciting new treatment that could cure their disease might not be eligible. Instead, they face longer treatments, poorer outcomes – or even worse – may only be palliative.”Diane McCallum was diagnosed with Stage 3A Breast Cancer on Sept. 21, 2023, and received a double mastectomy just six weeks later.

“I don't know what it's going to take but you know, if we’re searching for these poor doctors because they're working 24/7. I had a phone call one day on Sunday from the oncologist. I mean, you know they're working overtime, they're doing the best they can and I know I'm one of many they have to treat.”

The 51-year-old from Squamish, B.C. was even placed on palliative care at one point until he was accepted into a trial program last November in Ontario to undergo a liver transplant. “My professionals were up to the task and they cared for me with such empathy but yeah, even myself getting into chemo treatments, the fears were awful and there was always a risk of being bumped or not getting into testing,” Hoskin said.

'Wanting everybody to feel comfortable and welcome': Alberta couple killed in highway crash remembered A Saskatoon water skier who is blind and deaf has partnered with a well-known artist to fundraise for the national adaptive water ski team.

Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)

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