Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Frank Caputo was on tour recently, saying he has a plan to attract more healthcare professionals to his riding.
On May 14, Caputo posted a video on his YouTube page calling on doctors to come to the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo region, profiling the region’s “natural beauty and the collaborative spirit of our medical professionals.” Caputo said that he started this initiative because he was getting letters from concerned constituents of his riding voicing their concerns about the precarious state of healthcare.
The MP shared his vision with several members of the District of 100 Mile House and surrounding areas, including the Chief Administrative Officer of Clinton Brian Doddridge, and the CAO of 100 Mile House Tammy Boulanger, on Wednesday, May 15. During his presentation, Caputo pledged that he would personally help recruit doctors to work in the town.
“I’m prepared to pick people up at the airport - if I have to drive them to 100 Mile House to do a tour and introduce them to Council and the Mayor - I will happily do that because that’s what might be what’s necessary.”
During his meeting with council Caputo played the promo video he’s put together which primarily features the Kamloops area and doctors working at the Royal Inland Hospital.
“Here, we dive into nature’s greatest wonders every day, with jaw-dropping landscapes and vast terrain to practice heart-pounding and extreme sports,” Caputo said in a voiceover narration of the video. “This is a great place for doctors to live, work and play.”
Following the video Caputo went into more detail about his initiative and acknowledged the difficulties that more rural communities like 100 Mile House face. Caputo noted that when doctors leave smaller communities the impact is far more acute than it is in a larger city like Kamloops.
“I felt like I needed to do something and doing my part is telling people that we need doctors, that we want doctors and that this is a place to live,” stated Caputo.
Caputo noted that a major selling point for the region is its more affordable housing prices which would give doctors “more bang for their buck.” He also said that the less face-paced lifestyle could provide them with a “stress relieving haven” which he seeks to highlight in his campaign.
READ MORE: Recruitment of local doctors and nurses strong in 100 Mile House
READ MORE: Frank Caputo feels compelled to take action on healthcare crisis
At the end of the presentation, Caputo and his staff handed out posters with a QR code. Upon scanning it, the person is directed to a page on his website, asking people to share his video, with the text stating “the more we share it the greater chance we have of securing a doctor in the region.”
Caputo has noted that he also hopes to make a video showing off the more rural parts of Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo.
“I was actually just speaking with someone from Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson’s office - maybe next time he and I are in town together we could do a video on this.”
It should be noted that in the next federal election scheduled for October 20, 2025, 100 Mile House will be removed from the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding and added to the Cariboo-Prince George riding currently represented by MP Todd Doherty.
