Lake Cowichan Gazette, May 16, 2012

Page 1

The Lake Cowichan

Gazette Heritage Days feature A weekend at the Lake chalked full of family events

Community: Intercultural event in Lake Cowichan: A taste of Peru

PAGES 12 and 13

PAGE 8

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012

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VOL. 16, NO. 20

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98 ¢ + HST

| www.lakecowichangazette.com

Local physicians try to solve doctor shortage Tamu Miles Gazette

Sometime last week, local physicians working out of Brookside Clinic in downtown Lake Cowichan, posted a listing with the Vancouver Island Health Authority’s (VIHA) career website in response to the need for more physicians in the area. Brenda Warren, in charge of physician recruitment for VIHA, says that the clinic asked for a posting and that VIHA has been aware of the doctor shortage. There is no time target for positioning a general practitioner at the clinic, however VIHA, in cooperation with the province and the B.C. Medical Association (BCMA) say they have been providing strategies that work towards improving access to primary health care for all communities and British Columbians. To this end, the Ministry of Health established the General Practice Services Committee (GPSC). Besides working to help B.C. physicians become better able to meet the growing demands of caring for an aging population and improving clinical and office practices, $137 million has been invested to strengthen service delivery, ensure patients are full participants in their health care, and provide every British Columbian who wants access to a primary care provider access by 2015. As well, the province has doubled the number of first year undergraduate spaces for medical students from 128 in 2003/4 to 256 in 2011/12, and this number will increase to 288 by 2014/15. The province says it has also established one of the most comprehensive funding and incentive programs in Canada to encourage doctors to set up practice and stay in rural parts of B.C. This includes: the rural incentive fund, which provides an incentive of up to $20,000 for doctors to fill a vacancy in a rural community; a rural recruitment contingency fund which provides funds to help rural communities with recruitment expenses; loan forgiveness programs for nurses, nurse practitioners, medical residents, pharmacists and other medical professionals who choose to work in under-served areas; rural education funding to support ongoing professional development; and incentives from the Family Physicians for B.C. for recently graduated physicians to establish practices in under-served communities. However, Ryan Jabs, manager for media relations and issues management for the Ministry of Health Communications, says that physicians cannot be forced to work in any given area. Local municipalities can partner with VIHA to advertise and promote an area in an effort to attract physicians. He says that money has been put towards educating more physicians and providing incentive programs because the province is aware that it is important for residents to have access to primary care. DOCTORS continued on page 9

GLS model shown

Tamu Miles Photos

Kevin Hewer being assisted out of the Cowichan River at Little Beach by Lake Cowichan Fire Dept. Firefighters. Inset: Hewer is grateful to be out of the cold water and dressed in warm firefighter’s pants and coat.

Victoria man rescued from Cowichan River Tamu Miles Gazette

On Sunday, May 13, Kevin Hewer, his sister Samantha, and two nieces Onna 15, and Lanita 17, had to be pulled from the Cowichan River by members of the Lake Cowichan Fire Department, RCMP and Ambulance. Hewer and his family had travelled up from Victoria to take advantage of the sunny weather and spend some time on the water. However, shortly after launching, they found themselves in trouble. Hewer says he was in his kayak and his sister and two nieces were travelling down the river in an inflatable couch. Somewhere near the bend in the river by the end of Kingfisher Road, Hewer’s sister and her daughters got snagged. When Hewer tried to help them manoeuvre, both his kayak and their inflatable overturned. The women

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were able to climb onto a log, but Hewer was pulled down the river hanging on to his overturned kayak with an inner tube floating behind him. Somehow he managed to get onto the inner tube and get out of the freezing water. Hewer managed to grab on to a branch along the bank of the river just above Little Beach and a woman living along the river offered to call 911. Hewer says that at first he told her he was okay because he felt embarrassed for having ended up in that situation. When the Fire Department showed up, Hewer was still clutching the branch and using a shoe to bail out his kayak. He says he didn’t realize how shallow the water was or he would have just stepped into the river and turned the boat on it’s side. Once firefighters were in position at Little Beach, the boat was bailed, and Hewer was once again in the

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kayak, Fire Chief Doug Knott told Hewer to let go of the branch and paddle as hard as he could, across the current to the opposite bank where firefighters were waiting. Hewer had to paddle hard, using his shoes as paddles, and ran out of steam before he could reach the rope firefighters had thrown out for him to grab. Luckily, with more paddling and with help from a back eddy current, Hewer was sucked into the shore just up from where firefighters were positioned and they were able to pull him from the river. Hewer was wet, cold, and tired as he walked up to the waiting fire truck. His vital signs were checked and he was given water and a fireman’s coat to warm up. At one point, he was even given a pair of fireman’s pants to put on because he was still shaking from the cold. RESCUE continued on page 9

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Lake Cowichan Gazette, May 16, 2012 by Black Press Media Group - Issuu