Barbara Roden
Free Press
Doctors aren’t the only medical professionals the province is in need of – physiotherapists are also in high demand, and it’s a situation which frustrates 108 Mile Ranch resident Rainer Meyer.
In his native Germany, Meyer was a registered physiotherapist and massage therapist. In the late 1990s, he and his wife, Ingrid, were intrigued by a Canadian government promotional campaign throughout Europe, which invited qualified, educated citizens to immigrate to Canada, where they could use their skills.
“I owned my own clinic in Germany and had 15 employees,” says Meyer.
However, he and Ingrid had vacationed in the British Columbia Interior and decided they wanted to settle in the area.
“At that point, there was only one physiotherapist in 100 Mile House.”
At the time, there was a point system, which was used to assess the skills of would-be emigrants.
“I got 80 points because of my education, which was one of the highest possible scores, right behind computer technicians.”
He was also encouraged by a representative at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin, who told Meyer he would be able to work in Canada “any time” and also start his own practice.
Meyer arrived in 100 Mile House in June 2002, and began to advertise his services as a registered physiotherapist.
Shortly thereafter, however, he received a letter from the College of Physical Therapists of B.C. (CPTBC), advising he could not advertise as a registered physiotherapist because his equivalent education in Germany – some 8,000 hours in total – was not adequate.
“I was told I would have to go back to school for four years,” says Meyer.
He then began advertising as a registered massage therapist, only to be told he could not do that either.
Meyer explains that being registered means many people who use therapists with that qualification are able to reclaim some, or all, of the fee through their medical or insurance plans. Not being able to advertise as being registered is, therefore, a blow to many practitioners who may find it more difficult to attract patients.
Meyer wrote to his Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo M.P. Cathy McLeod, who noted she couldn’t help because her party had not been in government when Meyer arrived in Canada in 2002.
Meyer says he found Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett more empathetic, but she says that although she tried, there was little she could do.
“I looked into every avenue I could and went to the agencies overseeing this to help him.”
However, she adds there were many steps and hoops he had to go through, each with a fee associated with it. “People already spend a lot of money, time and energy to become immigrants.
“I agree with him that he should be allowed to practice here. He’s a great physiotherapist and very community-minded.”
Meyer’s frustration is not so much for him because he will be retiring soon, but he is concerned for younger people in Europe who might be tempted to Canada with promises that aren’t kept.
“I’m worried about young people not being able to find work.”
He also finds it frustrating in light of the fact there is a critical shortage of registered physiotherapists in the province. In August 2014, the Physiotherapy Association of B.C. (PABC) issued a letter about the matter, stating that there were 267 vacancies across the province.
“While the demand has exceeded the supply for decades, the balance is now beyond the tipping point,” stated the letter.
“Chronic vacancies, a lack of incoming physiotherapists, and an increased patient need due to the aging and the growing population in B.C. have created a health human resources crisis in physiotherapy.... The need is felt throughout the province, yet remote and rural areas experience the most long-standing shortage.”
Meyer, who is still working as a (non-registered) physical and massage therapist, says the problem could be alleviated by making it easier for foreign-trained therapists to work here.
“It’s frustrating to see in the news about this shortage. Politicians promise, promise, promise, but nothing happens.”
