More evidence of health crisis as senior with Parkinson's to lose doctor

Over 100,000 in Nova Scotia without family physician

HALIFAX –NDP Leader Gary Burrill is calling for action on the crisis in health care, as new stories emerge about patients with acute health care needs losing their family doctors.

“Over 100,000 people don’t have a doctor. We have a nursing shortage. And it seems that every week there are more stories about services being cut and people going without the care they need,” said Burrill. “What will it take for the Premier to admit there is a crisis? People are suffering and urgent action is required.”

In August, Theresa and Walter Zukauskas learned they would lose their family doctor in early November. Mr. Zukauskas was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2010. Since then, he has had three different family doctors. Mrs. Zukauskas immediately called 811 to get on the waiting list but no doctors were immediately available, and 811 couldn’t tell her when a doctor would become available.

“Senior citizens are being pushed aside,” said Mrs. Zukauskas. “Our needs are not being met. It’s as though the government is waiting for us to die.”

Mr. Zukauskas now uses a wheelchair and receives home care seven days a week. He broke his hip in a fall a year ago and spent four months in rehabilitation. After that, the couple had to pay $6200 out-of-pocket to get an appropriate wheelchair. Later, they had to pay out-of-pocket again to buy a hospital bed ($1600) and a mattress ($2000), along with several other accessibility-related upgrades to their apartment in central Halifax.

Today, Mr. Zukauskas is on nine different medications at any given time and needs a regular family doctor to monitor the progression of his disease and regularly update the medications he is using.

“I don’t know what we are going to do. People tell us to go to a walk-in clinic, but that won’t work for Walter. He needs a doctor to consistently monitor his condition,” said Mrs. Zukauskas. “I won’t give up until the government ensures that seniors like us are not left behind.”

Burrill will hold a media availability with Mr. and Mrs. Zukauskas at 1 pm today.

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