April 21, 2014 - Georgia Straight: Finding a family doctor may not be a top priority for everyone—but for those in need, the search can be daunting.
In Vancouver, it is estimated that over 100,000 people don’t have a family doctor and about 24,000 are actively looking for one, according to the Vancouver Division of Family Practice.
Until recently, Roanna Zee was one of those people on the hunt.
“New people do have difficulty finding a doctor,” she said.
When Zee moved to the city just over six years ago, she immediately started looking for a doctor. But finding one proved to be a greater challenge than she expected.
She lowered her expectations for finding a doctor close to her East Vancouver home and broadened her search. Despite her efforts, she didn’t find a doctor until a few months ago—and it was thanks to sheer luck. “The doctor I found, the name surfaced on Twitter of all places,” Zee said. “Somebody mentioned so-and-so is taking new patients and I called immediately to make an appointment.”