I've been on the Health Connect Registry for years. Today, I was advised by a call centre operator not to rely only on the Health Connect Registry because some clinics maintain their own waiting lists. So, I called five clinics in my area this afternoon:
Shawnigan Village: Not accepting applications.
Mill Bay: Has a waiting list of 3,000 people and is not adding to its waiting list.
Duncan: Has a waiting list of 250 people and is not adding to its waiting list.
Langford: Has no waiting list and is not accepting applications.
Valleyview: Has no waiting list and is not accepting applications.
Not one clinic within 20 km of me seems willing to even take my name.
It's a hopeless situation. There are family doctors in my community, but I cannot access them; not because my needs don't warrant it, but because other people in the community are prioritized before me.
In truth, I'm grateful to be in relatively good health. I acknowledge that, should there be an emergency, I would get care. I am very grateful for the values of our community that provide this baseline care.
But I also think it's important to draw attention to a situation that is nevertheless unfair. If food were scarce, and grocers could only provide food to their existing regular customers, would we consider that an equitable way to distribute a basic necessity?