HALIFAX — Theresa Zukauskas says she wants Nova Scotia's premier to find her husband a family doctor as she struggles for the third time in five years to ensure he has proper care for his Parkinson's disease.
The retired Halifax teacher says it's not acceptable her 75-year-old husband Walter is placed on a waiting list, as she often requires a physician's advice on the telephone for proper medication when his blood pressure plummets.
After learning last month that her latest doctor is leaving in a few weeks, she called the province's 811 telecare service and was told there's no definite time she can get a doctor again, and a suggestion she use walk-in clinics in Halifax.
Zukauskas held a news conference today to say her husband is in a wheelchair and needs care from a physician who can be reached by telephone and has ongoing knowledge of his needs.
As of Sept. 1, 35,777 people — about four per cent of the population — have registered online or by phone with the Nova Scotia Health Authority's Need a Family Practice registry, indicating they do not have a primary care provider.
Health Minister Randy Delorey said at the legislature that the province has created a list that identifies patients' needs that can be provided to doctors they recruit.
