PARN concerned about available care for people with HIV
Doctor who saw 35 patients with virus leaving Peterborough
Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - Natalie Miller
The Peterborough AIDS Resource Network (PARN) has “huge concerns” about a shortage of medical care for local residents living with HIV come April.

Dr. Tony Jeffries, who saw 35 local people who are HIV positive, is retiring from general practice for emergency work in a nearby community. He’s the only doctor in Peterborough city and county, and probably the neighbouring four counties, who has a substantial number of patients who are HIV positive, says Kim Dolan, PARN’s executive director.

Dolan says while Peterborough’s doctor shortage impacts everyone, people with HIV require a specialized level of care she fears won’t be available when Dr. Jeffries leaves the area.

“We have huge concerns,” says Dolan.

“We have worked with Dr. Jeffries over the years” and received “glowing reviews” from his patients, she says.

“For those patients, this is a (critical) health care issue.”

“Physicians need to have very specific training about HIV and AIDS, starting from diagnosis. It’s a complex health management challenge.”

Dolan says caring for someone with HIV requires an understanding of the virus that causes AIDS, managing compromised immune systems and monitoring medications. Dr. Jeffries has been working locally with patients who have HIV for about 10 years, she says. She suspects there are other doctors in Peterborough and surrounding areas who see some patients who are HIV positive but is hopeful one doctor could pick up these 35 patients.

“We would hope there would be other physicians in the area. We would hope there would be one physician who would take on these patients. They could become the expert primary-care practitioner in the area.”

“There are real concerns. What we really need to have in this community is that expert care.”

There is an HIV clinic in Durham Region, based out of the Lakeridge Health Whitby. However, traveling there when someone is unwell or on a fixed income is “a real challenge,” says Dolan. “The additional stressors on the immune system become problematic.”

PARN is sending letters to individual doctors in Peterborough, encouraging them to take on additional patients. The organization is also communicating with local MPP Jeff Leal and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

PARN is also part of a working group, encompassing representatives from Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton counties and Durham Region, that is looking at issues relating to AIDS and what services are and aren’t available in these geographic areas. There’s a possibility of establishing a mobile clinic out of Lakeridge Health Whitby, says Dolan.

According to Dolan, Dr. Jeffries is planning to maintain contact with some of his patients on a monthly basis through the Peterborough Clinic. As well, he’s going to make available his emergency shift schedule to these patients.

The number of people being diagnosed with HIV in Ontario has climbed over the last three years, Dolan says. As well, there are about 6,000 to 7,000 people in this province who don’t know they have the virus.

“We’re also concerned in general for transmission and the need for testing.” Dolan says there are a number of theories as to why HIV transmission is on the rise.

Some people who are HIV positive don’t know it and therefore aren’t practicing safer sex or are transmitting the virus through intravenous drug use. Dolan says there is also “fatigue” about practising safer sex. Younger populations may feel “invincible”, resulting in a “cavalier” attitude to taking precautions.

For more information about HIV and AIDS, visit www.parn.ca