Rural health care in crisis: Part one

CALEB NICKERSON
PONTIAC Sept. 2, 2020

Note: In this article, I am attempting to cover some of the region’s health care issues in a way that goes beyond the surface level and provides a nuanced look at what needs to happen if services like obstetrics are to return. The challenges faced by rural doctors (which is what this first instalment will focus on) is a subject that’s as vast as the county we call home. This article is the first in a series that will delve into as many angles of this multi-faceted problem as possible. If you have a story or perspective you want to add to the conversation, send an email to editor@theequity.ca or call 819-647-2204.

Dana Scott, a mother of three from Quyon, has a problem: her kids need a family doctor.
It’s a routine request that almost any parent will encounter but in the Pontiac, like most rural areas across Canada, it’s a bit more complex than that. While they had been seeing a physician in Gatineau for several years, last July she heard about . . .