Paul Dhillon, a Sechelt doctor, has confirmed his candidacy for the Conservative Party Nomination for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country riding. Dr. Paul Dhillon, a father of two, husband to Irish-born wife Sarah, and a local physician will contest the nomination with two other candidates, a Whistler realtor and a former West Vancouver councillor.
According to a press release, Dhillon’s decision to run is fueled by a deep-seated commitment to his community. As a Rotary Club member and the Medical Director for the Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue (SAR), he has dedicated his life to serving others.
“My work as a local physician has been incredibly fulfilling, but I believe it’s time to take my commitment to public service to the next level. This nomination is an opportunity to enact real change in our healthcare system, something I am deeply passionate about,” Dhillon says.
Dhillon brings a unique blend of medical expertise and military experience to his candidacy. Having served nearly ten years as a Reservist Medical Officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, his career includes domestic exercises and international deployments, most recently on Operation IMPACT in Kuwait. His background as a physician and a military officer gives him a distinctive perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing Canada today, he says.
A key focus of his campaign is improving physician training and recruitment strategies. He was most recently the face and impetus of a national physician campaign to improve residency Family Medicine training. This will now happen without increasing the duration of training, a change that, if implemented, would have decreased the number of Family Physicians in the country.
“It was a unique and challenging experience to work with so many organizations and physicians across the country to enact this policy change which ultimately will provide more Family Doctors for Canadians, who need them so desperately right now.”
He also has first-hand knowledge of the need to streamline the recruitment process for foreign-trained physicians, including Canadians studying medicine abroad, to ensure that Canada benefits from a diverse and highly skilled medical workforce. With immigration at an all-time uncontrolled high, the government needs to not only house but provide care to new Canadians. It’s alarming that the government has not taken these factors into account, he says.
For more information on Dr. Dhillon’s campaign and background, please visit www.pauldhillon.ca.
