I was the very last on the list for the Sunshine Coast’s GP for Me program. The program is the Health Ministry’s initiative to find a family doctor for everyone, near their home. The ministry funded the program through the Division of Family Practice. On Friday, March 3, the day I enrolled in the program, the funding ran out.

That’s too bad, given the fact that many, many Coasters have no GP and instead wait for an hour or hours to see a doctor at a local clinic. Other people, like me, travel by ferry to see their doctor. That’s tough to do when you’re sick or in an emergency, so I took advanursentage of the opportunity to have a GP for me—right on the Coast.

At the Gibsons Health Unit, a nurse saw me within two minutes of my appointment time. She talked with me in detail about my health. I was with her for an hour, far longer than the time GPs can allot for an office visit. The nurse answered all of my questions and said she would forward my name to a family physician. My experience with GP for Me was overwhelmingly positive. I wasn’t the only person who felt that.

“Absolutely everyone who has come here has been extremely enthusiastic about this program. I’m inspired by the response,” the nurse said.

She said the program isn’t over. Only the funding is. Let’s hope the Health Ministry will supply more of it.