We lost a surgeon: Quebec’s doctor shortage a mess

Reuel S. Amdur

As of January, there was a backlog of 170,000 people waiting for surgery in Quebec.  That’s right, 170,000.  If you are one of them, you will be interested in Dr. Issa’s story.  Read it and weep. 

Mohamad Issa is Lebanese. All of his education up to and including medical school was in French. He also studied English and is fluent in it as well.  Then for his training in general and plastic surgery he went to Ukraine.  He practiced there for seven years.  He married a pharmacist.

When the Russians invaded, he and his wife hopped in their car and headed West, ending up in Germany.  They then had to decide what to do.  It was decided that he would go to Canada, but as she spoke neither French nor English she would stay in Germany till he got settled in a position.  Dream on.

On arriving in Canada, he was given a work permit, which specified that he could not work in the health field.  He took a job at Tim Hortons.  “It was $16 an hour.”  Issa decided that he could do better than that.  He became aware of a job opportunity at Hull’s Villa des Brises. The Villa is a residence for people who are autonomous or semi-autonomous.  It also provides rehabilitation care for people no longer requiring a hospital-level of care.  He went back to Immigration for a new work permit, removing the prohibition on work in the health field.  (The new work permit barred sex work.)  He was hired by the Villa as a préposé, a personal support worker.  Incidentally, the job required him to take and pay for a first aid course and a course on physically handling patients.  And he also took and paid for tests to qualify him to practice medicine. 

We met Dr. Issa at the Villa when my wife Adèle Gauthier was there recuperating from pneumonia.  He told us his story and expressed his frustration.  In passing, he wondered if he should have stayed in Germany with his wife, learned German, and resumed his career as a surgeon.  German would be one more language added to Arabic, French, English, Ukrainian, and Russian. 

We had an appointment with him to come to our home on Sunday, October 27, to gather further information for this article.  He did not show up.  A call to the Villa gave the reason for the no-show.  “He’s gone to Germany.”    

This story raises questions.  First, why would Canada set the prohibition of work in the health sector on work permits?  Second, in the face of the shortage of personnel in the health sector, why do Canada and Quebec not have case managers to get immigrant health professionals into positions?  What is going on with the federal and Quebec governments?  He speaks French, Mr. Legault. 

We wish Dr. Issa the best in Germany and in his reunion with his wife.  Unfortunately, we lost an experienced surgeon whose skills are desperately needed.  Pharmacists are also in demand.  It is clear that he made a big mistake in coming to Canada.