November

Nostalgia. I could feel it in my bones as I read Work hours, sleep deprivation, and fatigue: A British Columbia snapshot (BCMJ 2007;49:387-392), and remembered with pride how we used to work ourselves to a frazzle, as if charging up the beach at Normandy against unrelenting odds, we could do it. In the good old days, hard, long work hours were a trial of pride, a chance to prove oneself.

I appreciate the opportunity to respond to Dr Zafar Essak’s letter regarding the BCMA Board.

I am troubled by Dr Essak’s assertion that the BCMA Board does not operate in a manner that is in the best interest of all the members. This is a claim he has made before and one that I believe is inaccurate.

I couldn’t agree more with Dr Salvian (BCMJ 2007;5:227) that medical journals and physicians should be discussing crime. I think that physicians and experts in public health can make real contributions to this area and to community safety in general.

I am writing in response to the editorial by AJS. I much appreciate the content and want to say that it expresses my feelings exactly.

I think that it is well past the time when the BCMA should speak out about social issues, not just medical ones. As we know only too well, social issues (of which crime is one) play an enormous role in illness and our abilities to provide effective health care.

When you write an editorial you hope that it engenders thought and reaction. Obviously, how crime affects our social fabric fits the bill.