Several doctors from the North Island along, including Dr. Ingrid Pincott, NP, and Dr. Anna Kindy, MD, joined with 56 health care professionals from around the province to protest the government’s new Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) and presented postcards they said were signed by concerned B.C. citizens.
The postcards request that the government repeal the new HPOA, known formally as Bill 36. The cards, addressed to many MLAs, were presented to John Rustad and Bruce Banman of the BC Conservative Party on Nov. 9 on the front steps of the Legislature, Dr. Pincott said in a press release.
The health care professionals then attended Question Period inside the gallery during which the postcards were presented to Adrian Dix by Rustad who said, “Here today in the gallery these Healthcare workers represent the backbone of our health care system. They have spent decades caring for their patients in their community. They are here today because they are concerned about staffing shortages, the closures of ER’s, and the loss of freedom in Health Care. They are concerned about the medical tyranny that this government is putting on the control of health care in this province.”
The bill — which has been the subject of considerable social media discussion, much of it conspiratorial — concerns the regulation of health service providers following the release of a report that had previously recommended a complete overhaul of colleges regulating medical professionals because of concerns over patients’ care.
The act has received criticism from bodies representing medical professionals, including British Columbia Medical Association representing doctors. The association argued during the legislative process that the bill would threaten the autonomy of the profession, politicize college board decisions and raise costs.
Dr. Anna Kindy, a MD from Campbell River, said her concerns lie with the lack of consultation by the ministry regarding this HPOA Act. An online survey was done by the Doctors of BC (negotiating body for medical doctors) over a two-week period during Christmas in 2020 which she said got only got 56 responses. In April 2023 a zoom presentation was provided to the Doctors of BC to provide information regarding this Bill. There were 400 attendees with many concerns.
“There was not one proper answer to all of the questions asked,” she said. “Politicians do not belong in medicine. Nowhere in the HPOA ACT do they get input from the frontline workers so this ACT makes patients less safe.”
– with files from Wolf Depner, Black Press legislative reporter