SURGEON SLAMS DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE

Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Ignatius Vandermerwe shocked members of city
council Monday night when he launched into an attack on the level of drug
and alcohol abuse in the community.

And that abuse was translating into too much operating time at Kitimat
General being taken up treating "frivolous injuries" or trauma.

Vandermerwe was also critical at what he perceived to be the contrast
between the amount of effort the RCMP put into seat belt/driver license
checks and enforcement of drug and alcohol laws.

The comments were made after councillor Graham Anderson asked him to share
his thoughts on the impact of drug and alcohol abuse on the day-to-day
operations of the operating rooms.

Vandermerwe said he has been "stunned" to discover, through questions asked
of patients, the extent of drug and alcohol use and smoking "especially
among younger people in the community".

He also pointed out the majority of OR time was being used dealing with
smaller type of injuries - hand fractures from punching walls, broken
ankles from falling and separated shoulders - a substantial number of which
occurred while the patient was intoxicated.

"I have also seen a fairly large number of patients that have
post-operative complications as a result of drug use after the surgery," he
added.

Vandermerwe explained each year he gets a report from Medical Services Plan
which profiles his practice.

He said that profile showed he dealt with more small hand fractures than
the provincial average.

"I am dealing with a larger amount of trauma cases compared to the
population," he added.

"If I compare my practice, the scale of trauma and the complicatedness of
the injuries are 10 per cent above the provincial average."

The figure for severe injuries was the same, but Vandermerwe pointed out
part of the explanation for that was this was an industrial community with
its attendant logging and industrial injuries.

On the other end of the scale, "frivolous" injuries consumed a lot of
operating time that would otherwise be used for elective surgery.

"If we have someone coming in with a small fracture, we have to cancel
elective surgery cases. So knee arthroscopy and bunion surgeries, things
that can wait, get cancelled in favour of trauma surgery."

And as a physician, that was frustrating.

"At the end of the day the older generation that has been contributing to
British Columbia for decades through taxes don't get access to their
surgery because we are constantly dealing with the wall-punchers and
fighters,people under intoxication falling over and breaking ankles and
shoulders."

Vandermerwe said the concern about the number of injuries that were drug or
alcohol related had been brought to the Kitimat Health Advocacy Group.

"And we have spoken to representatives of the RCMP, asking them
specifically to look into the level of drug consumption in town."

Vandermerwe said what local doctors heard on the subject from "peopleat the
high school, kids from the playground, kids in the skateboard park and in
the sports arenas around town" were concerning for a parent who wanted to
raise young kids in this community.

"It is also unfortunate to report that comments have been made by some
figures in authority that drug abuse is not really a problem in town,"
Vandermerwe said, adding, "But, I remind you, very recently we have had a
drug related death in the community.

"There are some parents in town that report they are reluctant to send
their children to school with lunch money because they get hit on by
pushers. We have people in residential areas complaining they are living
across the street from or next door to a drug outlet. Yet there doesn't
seem to be an effective response to that."

Vandermerwe, a director of the Kitimat Health Advocacy Group, said the
group was asking council that some evaluation on the level of drug use and
"what is going on in our streets" be carried out.