‘It’s a no-brainer’: Fort St. John gynecologist talks importance of specialist care access

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A resident gynecologist in Fort St. John has spoken about the importance of local specialized healthcare.

Dr Adewale Ogunyanwo joined the staff at North Peace Primary Care Clinic earlier this year.

Talking about what it means to have a full-time gynecologist in the city, Ogunyanwo told Energeticcity.ca: “I think it’s a no-brainer. If you have someone resident who is full-time, then access is no longer a problem and if access isn’t a problem, then treatment should be relatively straightforward, rather than having to travel very far to see someone.”

Ogunyanwo believes that before he arrived in Fort St. John, there were locum OBGYN in the city filling this gap. 

Ogunyanwo has already identified a few areas in women’s healthcare services he hopes to fill. 

He said: “There are a few areas that I’ve identified and it’s definitely going to take some time.

“I think some of the services we provide to pregnant women can be improved in terms of their coordination between the center and some tertiary centers.”

Ogunyanwo also believes postpartum care needs looking into as well as strengthening coordination between a small center and bigger regional centers. 

Becky Belle, a local of Fort St. John, believes having a full-time gynecologist will give women peace of mind. 

She said: “I think it’s just going to give a lot of women a peace of mind that we have somebody in the community and we will get in quickly.” 

Belle hopes the availability for women to get in and see the doctor continues.

She said: “I hope that the women in our community have our voices heard, especially for gynecological issues, it can be very stressful, and to be able to get in, to have the tests done, to have our voices heard, is huge for women in our community.” 

Echoing Belle’s thoughts, Ogunyanwo said: “It’s been absolutely positive. Lots of women coming to my clinic are very excited, very delighted to have a full-time person here.

“I feel like the work I’m doing is very important, because I’m made to feel that way because of the sense of gratitude and appreciation I’ve received from women.” 

This comes after Energeticcity.ca revealed Northern Health has been tackling healthcare staff shortages for a decade.