David Coupland, M.D., Radiologist
On April 1st, Dr. Dave Coupland discussed the hospital bed capacity crisis and physician shortage at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
Dr. Dave Coupland, a Radiologist at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, has been serving the Central Island since 1996. Dr. Coupland is also the President of the “Nanaimo Medical Staff Engagement Society,” established in September 2016, to engage with the Health Authority to address important health care issues. These include a shortage of physicians and a shortage of beds at Nanaimo General Hospital.
The most critical of our infrastructure and staff requirements are a lack of acute care beds at Nanaimo General Hospital, and no cardiology or oncology services. In fact, the Central Island is served by a single cardiologist and has not even a single oncologist. Needless to say, these are the two most common diseases of people over 65 years of age (precisely our Probus demographic). This lack of heart and cancer expertise in the Central Island is particularly egregious given the advanced age of the Central Island (with the oldest demographic in the country). Life here is not for the “faint-of-heart.”
Dr. Coupland generously provided us with his slide presentation so we can review the details of his talk to capture any details we may have missed. To view the slides click here.
We’re grateful to Dr. Coupland, his assistant Karli McGarry (from the Nanaimo Medical Staff Engagement Group) and his co-presenter, Janice Perrino, (CEO of the hospital funding foundation at https://nanaimohospitalfoundation.com/staff/) who supported Dr. Coupland during the presentation.