Dr. John Haggie used his final address as
president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association to
encourage his colleagues to continue to exercise their authority and
expertise to improve health care delivery in the province.
Dr. Haggie said that professional physician
autonomy is vital to advancing the objectives of the medical
community and in determining the fate of the NLMA and its members.
"In the last year we have managed to
halt the erosion of our autonomy and, in some areas, perhaps have
had some small success in restoring a little of it," Dr. Haggie
told physicians assembled for the recent NLMA annual general
meeting. "This has only been achieved by a massive effort from
staff, executive and board members and, critically, by the members
as a whole."
Ensuring the voice of medicine is heard
will be instrumental as the NLMA looks ahead to emerging issues like
primary care, clustering and secondary care, the survival of some
tertiary services, location of diagnostic imaging tools such as MRIs
and the need for enhanced hemodialysis services, said Dr. Haggie.
"We must use our voice or lose it. No
group in this province has anywhere near the same breadth, depth and
appreciation of the delivery of medical services than we do. We have
a unique position in health care and, thus, unique
responsibilities," said Dr. Haggie. "The cost of our
success is the time and effort of you, the physicians of the
province. The price of failure will be a downward spiral for the
health care in this province."
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