These are telling times when a physician is compelled to resign as chief of staff to speak out on health care issues.

Now Dr. Peter Entwistle is compelled to run as an independent in the May 9 provincial election.

What next? Ombudsman?

It’s ironic (but then again maybe not) that Interior Health has disputed everything that this physician has said about the bed situation in Oliver. What do you expect them to say, “Yes, he’s totally right, patient care is going down the tubes and we have to stop making decisions behind our ivory desks.”

But to Interior Health’s credit, they haven’t decided what to do with the extra six beds at SOGH, so technically they haven’t cut any beds . . . yet. The hospital has 18 funded beds, which won’t change, according to the health authority.

But bed closures across BC only represent one of the issues that many doctors are concerned about. Wait times for surgery, wait times for specialists, and wait times in ER are three more in the long list of things that need fixing in this province. Many people still can’t even secure a family doctor, and many go without medical services because they can’t afford it.

Dr. Entwistle is under no illusion that he can fix all of these problems, but he’s willing to run as an independent to bring these issues to the forefront and offer solutions on how to rectify them.

Many people are supporting this doctor’s bid to make a health care difference in Victoria, and he truly believes he can win the election on May 9.

Some people would argue that Dr. Entwistle doesn’t stand a chance against the two big parties. Most independent candidates don’t. But a number of residents have already stated they will vote for the doctor because of his fight for health care.

He may end up splitting the vote between the Liberals and the NDP, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll sneak in through the back door and surprise everyone.

Health care is universal and impacts everything and everyone, so it’s not really a one-issue platform.

The fact is many people are fed up with the traditional parties and their politicians who have to toe the line and represent the party more so than the constituents.

Dr. Entwistle says a vote for him is a vote for health care and the medicine to make it better. It’s hard to argue with that analogy.

Lyonel Doherty, editor