An open letter
Dear Friends:
Four years has flown by so quickly. It seemed like just the other day when I first arrived, touching the ground running because of the huge backlog in work in northern B.C.
During this time I’ve had to overcome many obstacles both personal and with the practice.
As you all know by now, I will be leaving to go back to South Africa next year.
I can no longer address you as patients so I hope I can address you all as friends.
Despite all the challenges that I faced, I feel very blessed that I have come to meet wonderful people in northern B.C.
It has been my privilege to have been able to provide a service to you. I have shared your tears of happiness and in some cases sadness, occasional frustration when I could not find the answers for you.
I tried to persuade the B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons to allow me to stay on until the new doctor arrives, most likely within the next few months, however this was denied.
I was not sure whether I should stay or leave from September last year but because there was no one else here to provide the ear, nose and throat specialist service, as well as consideration for Joyce Cloakey, my medical office assistant who brought the practice under control so efficiently over the past two years, I could not bring myself to leave. That decision has been taken from me now.
To all my colleagues and hospital staff, I would also like to convey a very big thank you for all your support and kindness.
So it is with some degree of sadness that I say goodbye or rather farewell to you. I hope we can still keep in touch as friends. I will be continuing to practice in South Africa and I hope that you feel welcome to contact me if someday you do visit that part of the world. I would love to show you my hometown.
Dr. Ivan Jardine,
Terrace, B.C.
