'I appreciate all the love' Dr. Garth Slysz honoured to be named one of Canada's top 10 docs
Missions to Haiti part of nomination for award
Dr. Garth Slysz says it's a special honour to be named one of Canada's top 10 doctors.
"I thought that was super nice," the Charlottetown family physician said in an interview with CBC. "I appreciate all the love of my patients. I've enjoyed serving them here for the last 26 years."
The family doctor will receive the Reg L. Perkin Awards from the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
"The award is one thing but the hugs and the congratulations and the love from my own patients is a bigger blessing really."
Part of Slysz's nomination for the award included his ongoing work in Haiti since 2011, a year after the earthquake.
"Through an organization called FAME Canada we've travelled down as a medical mission groups for a number of years, and secondly, we've tried to supply that area with medication each year for a number of years as well."
The doctor said the area they go has twice the population of Charlottetown but has no doctors and only a few nurses providing medical care.
"Regularly medical teams travel down to treat some of the people there."
Results witnesses firsthand
Slysz added many living there have ongoing medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and more. To help, the missions organized to have medication shipped to Haiti from Amsterdam.
Slysz said the missions see first-hand the results of these efforts.
"It's very rewarding to know what people do here, the money they give here actually helps 100 per cent on the people in Haiti."
Slysz said the town they support has now been affected by Hurricane Matthew — with flooding and crop loss.
"Food has been a problem and clean water," he said.
Slysz said missions to Haiti will continue with the next one planned in Feb. 2017.
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