The lack of family doctors, and the wait times to see a doctor are two big issues that have been around for a long time. So, I was very happy to see that a “virtual medicine pilot project” or “telerounding” is being implemented at Western Hospital in Alberton (CBC article here).
Since I ran for office in 2011 I have been promoting innovative solutions in government. Using high speed internet to connect remote doctors with patients – or “telemedicine” – is one of those innovative ideas. I campaigned on this idea in 2011 and have talked about it many times in the 7 years since then.
I got into politics to make a difference, and help drive useful changes to address issues in our province. Being in opposition it can be hard to champion change in government. So I’d like to think I played a small part in influencing government to finally pursue telemedicine.
Here is an excerpt from my nomination speech on August 16, 2011. Note that connecting rural Islanders to high speed internet was an issue I also raised over seven years ago!
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