Doctors Up In Arms Over On-Reserve Care

Doctors Up In Arms Over On-Reserve Care

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 13:35

Some doctors in the town of Big River are planning to discuss the delivery of health care on the nearby First Nation with band leaders today.

Dr. Solomon Vaska says because the reserve is a 45-minute drive from town, there is high demand on the time doctors are actually in the reserve community — which Vaska says amounts to only eight hours a week.

He says if reserve residents want physician care anytime else, they have to travel to Big River, Shellbrook or Prince Albert.

Vaska says the health system has to be restructured to give Aboriginal people greater access to doctors.

Vaska doesn’t feel it’s right that people in the town of Big River have much greater access to local doctors, even though the town is roughly half the size of the reserve.

Vaska also doesn’t blame the health region for the problem — he says the federal and provincial governments are responsible.