Excerpted from Pembina Valley Online:
Dr. Chandy Jacob, simply known as “Doctor Jacob”, to many, has seen healthcare advance and adapt in the Pembina Valley for over 50 years. In that time he’s personally seen the team of local doctors grow from four to 45 in Winkler.
…
After a half-century in the field, Jacob’s tried and true mantra remains, if you add more services in the rural areas people benefit and the government saves money, “providing specialist care in a regional centre is not only better service for people, the government saves money because the cost is less than providing the same service in the city… we’re not asking for the moon, but add some services outside Winnipeg.”
“People need to speak up, we deserve better care,” he says, adding while doctors have some weight when it comes to advocacy, the public has the true political power.
And he says more specialists, like himself, are interested in settling outside urban areas. “If you put the services here, the specialists will move here… but people need to ask for it.”
Jacob celebrated 51 years serving Winkler and area this year.