Pediatrician says he's leaving P.E.I. practice because province won't accommodate his disability

For the past fewer years, it's been hard for Dr. Jovan Vuksic to adjacent ideate himself walking into a hospital, fto unsocial moving successful one.  

The pediatrician began his vocation successful maternity wards successful British Columbia, but December 2021 changed everything for him. 

After experiencing 3 adverse outcomes successful 1 week portion practising there, Vuksic went connected accent leave. 

He was yet diagnosed with some post-traumatic accent upset (PTSD) and attraction shortage hyperactivity upset (ADHD).

More than 3 years later, neither Vuksic nor his intelligence wellness squad are definite he'll beryllium capable to practise successful a infirmary mounting again. 

"Even reasoning astir it present is precise uncomfortable," helium told CBC News of that clip successful 2021. 

"When you person panic attacks astatine enactment during the astir captious exigency situations, that's not harmless for your patients nary substance however severely you privation to support helping." 

In hunt of a much relaxed pace, Vuksic and his spouse moved to Prince Edward Island successful March 2023. 

He yet reached retired to Health P.E.I. astir moving arsenic a pediatrician connected the Island. 

That process proved to beryllium thing but relaxing. 

WATCH | After a twelvemonth of moving his session for free, this pediatrician says it's clip to permission P.E.I.:

Vuksic said helium was told by Health P.E.I. that each pediatricians successful the state indispensable bash on-call enactment successful a infirmary setting. 

When helium told the bureau helium couldn't bash that due to the fact that of his disability, helium said Health P.E.I. seemed to suffer involvement successful hiring him.  

"They said everybody has to bash [on-call], and I said, 'I person PTSD.' They said, 'Well that's excessively atrocious but everybody has to bash [on-call].' So adjacent astatine that constituent I had an inkling that determination was a problem," Vuksic said.  

"I tin not bash the work, and the information that a wellness authorization for an full land doesn't recognize that a diagnosis of PTSD means can't not won't is precise concerning to me." 

'He's an unthinkable person'

Vuksic told Health P.E.I. helium wouldn't use for the job. He offered to bash pediatric-based session enactment oregon superior care, but helium ne'er heard backmost from the wellness authority.

When helium was cleared to instrumentality to enactment a fewer months later, helium again reached retired to Health P.E.I. He said the enactment erstwhile again told him that each doctors person to bash on-call work.

In February 2024, astatine hazard of losing his P.E.I. aesculapian licence if helium didn't instrumentality to work, Vuksic began seeing patients astatine his ain pediatric signifier astatine Charlottetown Psychological and Therapeutic Services. 

The session looks aft patients with neurodevelopment, intelligence wellness and behaviour concerns, Vuksic's specialty.

But his patients don't wage a cent — helium pays for everything due to the fact that helium knows immoderate of the radical helium treats can't spend backstage wellness care. 

Frustrated, helium precocious took to societal media to station astir his tendency to enactment and enactment successful P.E.I., and his struggles with the province's health-care system. 

He present says he's forced to adjacent his session due to the fact that helium can't spend to enactment for escaped anymore. 

Marley Kwitco, whose lad is 1 of the 80 patients astatine Vuksic's clinic, said she was floored to work that the pediatrician wasn't receiving immoderate outgo for his practice. 

"I astir cried, due to the fact that it's astonishing that … a doc believes that overmuch successful your kid and wants to assistance your kid and attraction for them, adjacent though they're not making income disconnected of it," Kwitco said. 

"He's an unthinkable person." 

Since her lad started going to the session past March, Kwitco said he's steadily learning however to modulate his emotions. She said if Vuksic leaves, her kid won't get the enactment helium needs. 

"I conscionable americium bittersweet that the health-care strategy would fto idiosyncratic similar this go," she said. 

"Why can't they marque the exception?... The Island doesn't person capable doctors that are specializing successful antithetic things and I don't deliberation they should beryllium pushing worldly distant erstwhile radical present request aesculapian help."

'I'm atrocious I couldn't find a mode to bash it'

In a statement, Health P.E.I. said it has been successful interaction with Vuksic connected galore occasions, has provided him with elaborate accusation astir however to practise successful the province, and has invited him to enactment successful the interrogation process.  

"Health PEI has a standardized process for hiring, appointing and privileging physicians," the connection reads. "Health PEI besides has policies to guarantee compliance with each authorities and regulations done the recruitment process and works with candidates to guarantee each required accommodations are offered." 

The bureau added it has policies and enactment unit successful spot to assistance immoderate unit who necessitate accommodations owed to a disablement oregon different protected grounds.

Vuksic said he'll proceed to spot his P.E.I. patients done telehealth and inactive wants to enactment successful his chosen profession. But he'll person to bash that successful different province. 

"Everything successful my beingness is going little good due to the fact that of this conflict," helium said. "I consciousness similar I'm perpetually astatine conflict trying to person radical that what I'm doing is adjuvant and worthy, and I'm tired. I'm truly tired.

"To my patients: I'm sorry. I'm atrocious I couldn't find a mode to bash it."