Paving the path to a brighter future

-Jiwei Josh Li MD MPH

Vancouver, BC - Many people ask me why I think health issues are important enough for refugees and new immigrants. Isn't getting a good job, getting my kids into good schools, and having the freedom to practice my religion in Canada more important? The answer is of course, they are all important, but health undergirds all these amazing aspects of being Canadian.

Think about it, if your child is sick and can not find good healthcare, attending school will be problematic. As healthcare providers, we have seen scores of new immigrants lose their jobs because of delay in seeking treatment for curable issues like back pain from a work accident or early

onset diabetes. When asked why, they tell us about the difficulty in navigating the healthcare system and apprehension in accruing undue costs. The fact of the matter is, just like knowing where to buy the freshest yet most affordable groceries for your family (we usually piecemeal don't we - Superstore for dairy, bread, and meat, local grocer for fruits and vegetables), we all need advise about how to navigate a very very complicated healthcare system.

Many people come to Canada thinking that because the health system is free, there will be no burdens. Well, no one told you about the months of waiting to see a specialist or to get an MRI. In many cases, many are surprised to find out the wait is longer than one's home country. Another issue is medications, unless you have a good plan through work, knowing how to get your medications covered is pretty complicated. But these problems can be eased, that is why we at IHC believe that the very least we can do is start talking about these things. In Syrian communities, in Bangladeshi communities, in Colombian communities, in Bulgarian communities, in Jamaican communities, etc. Let's start conversations, grow them to our Neighbourhood Houses, let's talk about getting good healthcare in Canada as natural as talking about the weather!