Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently I was approached by a constituent about a matter that I believe has been lurking out there for a while and I have given the Minister of Health and Social Services a heads-up that I’m going to be raising this issue.
We value greatly our physicians and surgeons and medical practitioners in the Northwest Territories. We have had difficulty in the past recruiting and retaining people in this profession. I want to state clearly from the outset of this Member’s statement that this is not about the 99.9 percent of people who take up this profession. However, I have some serious concerns about a physician who has been practicing here in the Northwest Territories and about a process that would call his conduct and credentials and past experience and history into light.
Like every other profession, even physicians and specialists need a process in place that allows their credentials and conducts to be reviewed when irregularities occur. It is sad when one or two people of questionable motives and ethics can bring their own name and that of their profession into question. The public interest and safety of NWT patients needs to be the business of this government and this Minister.
I have reason to believe that there is a doctor in the Northwest Territories who has continued to practice in spite of safeguards such as a panel of peers by way of the College of Physicians and Surgeons’ best efforts to hold him accountable through a complaints process. I believe that constituents of mine have been harmed by the practices of this physician. Everyone deserves their day in court, but the court has failed to hold this doctor accountable.
I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services today about the process of complaints and the disposal of those complaints when a certain physician continues to practice when these complaints are outstanding against them.
I’ve been known to have the odd fight and I’ve got to tell you, this is an issue that has me very, very upset. I understand this physician has hidden behind, while he has harmed people, the threat of suing people. If he’s listening today I’d like to say bring it on, because he’s going to be dealing with me and I know people who have been hurt by him and I’m going to get to the bottom of this. I tell you, I have the skill, the ability and the experience to do that. If he thinks he can sue me, bring it on, but he’s going to be coming into the light of day.
