Chronicle Herald: OPINION: Dartmouth General’s lack of mental health resources a ballooning crisis
Dartmouth General’s lack of mental health resources a ballooning crisis
By Claudia Chender and Susan LeBlanc
"The health-care system in our province is in crisis. More than 100,000 people are without a family doctor, and mental health services are sorely lacking. Dartmouth, as a community, is being deeply affected by the crisis.
We’ve heard about these issues in our constituencies first-hand from patients and their families, health-care professionals, doctors, emergency room staff, clinic administrators, and the list could go on.
. . .
Our community is staring down a family doctor shortage that is only set to worsen with more Dartmouth doctors planning to retire. In the next five years, Dartmouth will lose over 40 per cent of its family doctors, and the attrition has already begun. Every day, we hear from residents who have lost a family doctor, or who can’t find one in the first place. Primary care providers like family physicians and nurse practitioners are the first line of care for mental health conditions and illnesses. People without access often end up in crisis situations because they couldn’t get support early on, and after a crisis, these same individuals are often left without follow-up support.
The auditor general was right in pointing out that where you live shouldn’t determine the quality of treatment you receive. We need a government that is willing to recognize the crisis we’re facing and to work collaboratively with patients, families, and health-care professionals to find solutions. If we don’t act soon, it could be too late for the people in our community who need help the most. Each day that the government fails to act, another resident of Dartmouth falls through the cracks."