By Dale Bass, Kamloops This Week

Two doctors from Guatemala who want to set up a practice in Logan Lake have been told by the a provincial body to look elsewhere in Canada.

Tania Castillo and Jose Blanos want to move to the B.C. Interior to be near Castillo’s stepfather, who lives in Kamloops.

When the two saw an article on the lack of a doctor in Logan Lake — the one who had been there has returned to his homeland of South Africa —  Castillo saw a perfect opportunity.

As a doctor trained in Guatemala and who has spent the past six years working in the emergency room, she saw an opportunity for her and her husband, Jose Blanos — also a doctor in the Central American country — to continue their work and be close to her stepfather.

Both passed the Medical Council of Canada evaluating examinations and both have had positive feedback from almost every province in the country.

However, they received a letter from Health Match B.C., the government’s doctor-recruiting body, stating their credentials aren’t recognized in B.C.

The letter from Jacqueline McGuire, a physician-recruitment assistant, written on behalf of Catherine Omueti, a human-resources consultant with Health Match B.C., suggested:

“An alternate route to registration in the provisional class would require that the family physician successfully complete an assessment of competency acceptable to the Registration Committee in a Canadian province or territory. Such an assessment is presently unavailable in British Columbia. You may wish to seek registration in another province in Canada that offers competency assessments, such as Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba.”

Castillo is with Blanos in Boston, waiting for the situation to be clarified.

She told Kamloops This Week Blanos has had his own family-medicine practice for six years. She has been a specialist in family medicine and has three years in emergency and trauma surgery.

Dr. Curtis Bell, community medical director with the Interior Health Authority, said there are several aspects to being licensed to practice medicine in Canada.

For example, applicants need training in approved programs; for family medicine, they need training in various aspects of that kind of medicine, from gynecology to psychiatry.

The IHA has recruited doctors from other countries, he said, because their training and qualifications are considered to be equivalent to what they would have received in Canada.

Castillo earned her medical degree in Cuba, while Blanos obtained his in Guatemala.

Blanos’ resume shows certification from the U.S.-based Inter-American Heart Foundation and Training Centre for cardiovascular care in emergency, in addition to several Guatemalan medical organizations specializing in anesthesiology and surgery. His area of research specialty is hypertension in adults.

Castillo’s resume shows several certifications from medical organizations in Guatemala, almost all relating to family medicine or surgery. Her research areas include neonatal mortality and treating diabetes.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia  would not discuss the couple’s situation, but directed KTW to its website information on registration and licensing doctors.

It reads: “Before making a decision, the College carefully reviews an applicant’s credentials, including education, training and relevant practice experience.

“The College also checks an applicant’s character references and health status, and carefully considers any outstanding investigations, disciplinary actions or practice restrictions from other jurisdictions to ensure that only qualified, competent and ethical physicians are granted registration and given a licence to practise medicine. Physicians who are registered with the College are referred to as registrants.”

It also notes doctors who are not approved for an independent practice can apply for provisional registration, which sets limits and conditions under which they can be doctors.

Bell said the job of the College is to ensure doctors in the province meet standards that ensure they will provide safe, quality medical care.

Health Minister Terry Lake appeared on Shaw TV’s Voice of B.C. earlier this year to discuss the province’s doctor shortage and said it stems from the NDP government of the 1990s.

Repeated requests to his ministry to speak with Lake about the situation were rebuffed.