Health Winners

Dr. Paul Caulford

Winner – Health and Sciences

Last month, a 41-year-old Scarborough man who was ineligible for OHIP as he waited for his immigration application to be processed died of cancer. 

In Canada for five years and sponsored by his brother, the man had worked and volunteered in the community before being diagnosed. Without health insurance coverage, he could not afford the $100,000 bill for his treatment.

 He turned to Scarborough’s Community Volunteer Clinic (CVC), formerly known as the Volunteer Clinic for Medically Uninsured Immigrants, which was able to provide palliative care and medications to ease the man’s excruciating suffering. 

“It is awful,” said Dr. Paul Caulford, who co-founded the clinic 10 years ago. “I don’t think most people really understand this is happening in their community. People would be appalled. Most people are decent people.” 

Caulford and the many staff members who have volunteered to help him establish and run CVC and an associated dental clinic are being honoured by The Scarborough Mirror’s first annual Urban Heroes Awards in the category of health and science.

 The clinic, on the lower level of the Kingsway Arms Retirement Residence on Eglinton Avenue just west of McCowan Road, provides health services to thousands of Toronto residents unable to access health insurance. 

That includes recently arrived immigrants, refugees appealing their claims and international students. 

“These are people in limbo and sadly a lot of people think of these persons as illegals and they’re, in fact, not. They’re here appropriately with status,” Caulford said. 

More than 5,000 patients have turned to the clinic in desperation over the last decade, 20 per cent of whom are pregnant and another 20 per cent of whom are children.

In recognition of the high number of babies and youngsters relying on the clinic, the Hospital for Sick Children and a Scarborough doctor have recently launched a partnership with the clinic called the Pediatrician Outreach Program (POP). 

Sadly, while the clinic can do much to help its patients, such as providing midwives and helping patients manage conditions such as high blood pressure, pneumonia and diabetes, patients needing hospitalization or specialized care must find the money to pay for it or go without treatment. 

Caulford is upset so many newcomers to Canada, many of whom are forced to take backbreaking work to support their families, are denied access to our nation’s promise of universal health care. 

“They do the work we won’t do, sort of our dirty work. Then they pay taxes when they purchase anything and then they are denied access (to health care) that they support and we enjoy. The logic escapes us,” he said.

 “They are our future citizens. It makes no sense to see their illnesses get in their way. It benefits no one. We hear back from a lot of them about what it meant to them to get started and dodge a bullet about facing major health care costs.”

– Lisa Queen